What Dr. McCord Taught Me About Podiatry And Life

The page at the end of Podiatry Today is reserved for the Forum. It is a usually a section for podiatrists to reflect upon their experiences — good, bad and everything in between. The lead author of the Forum was John McCord, DPM, who sadly passed away recently.

Immediately after becoming aware of the news, emptiness filled my heart. I would like to write more about the life of Dr. McCord as his influence remains so widespread. Before being a great doctor, he was truly a fantastic human being with an interesting, multifaceted life. I would like to reflect on his life and how his longtime contribution to the profession of podiatry definitely does not go without notice. Although I never had the privilege of meeting Dr. McCord personally, we interacted often and he served as a mentor and model podiatrist. His enthusiasm toward the profession and training of future podiatric physicians was immeasurable. We should all make an effort to emulate his contributions.

I first contacted Dr. McCord during my first year of podiatry school. I had subscribed to Podiatry Today the previous year in order to prepare for entering the profession. I was unable to relate to a majority of the articles as I was not yet versed in podiatric medical jargon. As a matter of fact, I would instantly flip to the back of the magazine to read the Forum. I was intrigued by its lessons and the down to earth quality Dr. McCord brought to the column. His stories reflected what was important to him, including his family, private practice, hobbies and his patients.

The beginning pages of Podiatry Today teach us how to be better practitioners from an academic perspective. This is important but we save the best for the last page. The stories that Dr. McCord presented in the Forum instruct us how to be better podiatrists from a practical perspective.

Dr. McCord was an instrumental influence to his colleagues and mentees. He guided me through school, residency interviews and throughout my residency. His candid realism is what I appreciated most about him. He was true to himself and the profession, and honest about it. One of his most important lessons was to remain humble and balanced, especially during residency training. Dr. McCord enjoyed many hobbies outside of podiatry, including flying airplanes, which I always admired.

The further vested that I become within the profession, the more I realize that podiatrists are motivated by the various rewards that this career path has to offer. Some individuals find motivation in podiatry’s financial facets, some enjoy the academic and research aspects, and others have used the profession as a platform for politics and to be community activists and public health experts.

As a new practitioner, I have discovered that it is important to discover which aspect of the profession to embrace. Without doing so, it will be “just another job.” Many hours, numerous dollars and conquering various rites of passage are a part of becoming a podiatric physician so my advice would be to make the most out of it. There are many different avenues to explore and past activists of the profession have paved the way. It is important to be grateful for their contributions and learn from their experience.

Throughout my career, I have been fortunate to interact and work with very skilled and experienced practitioners. Their wisdom is something that we cannot learn in school or a textbook. Too often, we forget to tap into their knowledge. We get busy and preoccupied. Although residency training is longer now, a 36-month training certificate is not a substitute for wisdom. Take advantage of what senior podiatrists offer to the profession.  

As time goes on, the younger generations will fill our shoes. Make it a priority to nurture them. Appreciate their novelty and new ideas while sharing your pearls of wisdom with them. Dr. McCord’s Forum articles have unprecedented relevance to our profession and life in general. His legacy lives on not only through his unwavering actions but through his brilliant words that touched the lives of so many. To him, I simply say thank you.

Dr. Ryans is completing her third year of residency at SSM DePaul Health Center in St. Louis.