
After producing two researchย papers based on her work withย 10 cadaravic limbs last fall, Mindiย Feilmeier, D.P.M.โ05, FACFAS,ย was contacted by representativesย of the surgical instrument companyย Stryker. They proposed bringing inย equipment for a session with her,ย podiatric medical residents andย Paul Dayton, D.P.M., FACFAS, aย podiatric physician with UnityPointย Clinic in Fort Dodge, IA , who becameย a part-time assistant professorย in DMUโs College of Podiatric Medicineย and Surgery (CPMS) in June.
Feilmeier suggested instead theย session be offered to CPMS studentsย on campus, using Stryker productsย and her cadaravic limbs.
โThey had had minimal proceduresย done on them, so ratherย than waste them, we could create aย hands-on opportunity for our students,โย says the assistant professor.ย โIt was a win-win.โ
That was the first of threeย Saturday surgical workshopsย Feilmeier and Dayton have offered,ย each attended by up to 30 CPMSย students. Participants first receivedย a presentation on one or twoย surgical techniques, then dividedย into smaller groups and, guided byย physicians and residents, practicedย them in DMUโs surgical laboratory.
โThe procedures we performedย were ones I had read about andย studied during the course of myย education. Being able to actuallyย perform the cuts, screw in the plates,ย drive the k-wires, etc., brought itย all together,โ says Colby Holmes,ย D.P.M.โ15, who participated in allย three workshops.
Classmate and workshop participantย Grace Ouyang agrees: โItโsย one thing to read and learn aboutย procedures in class. Itโs another toย understand where to stand, how toย approach the cuts and how to useย your hands when youโre tighteningย a screw or affixing a plate. We learnย from the physicians and residents.ย Itโs a very comfortable environmentย in which to ask questions.โ
In addition to Stryker, medicalย technology company Smith &ย Nephew and the Student Chapterย of the American College of Foot andย Ankle Surgeons (SCACFAS) haveย supported the workshops. Feilmeierย says everyone understands the goalย is enriched learning experiences forย students, not product sales.
โWhen industry supports opportunitiesย for students to learn andย faculty to try new instruments, whenย done ethically and appropriately, itย works very well,โ she says. โWe wantย to prepare students to interact withย companies, not be swayed by glossyย brochures and fancy dinners.
โWe talk to students about beingย good stewards of health care dollars,โย Feilmeier adds. โItโs all aboutย good outcomes for patients.โ
Feilmeier hopes to offer the workshopsย at least quarterly and possiblyย as continuing medical educationย sessions. She also sees opportunitiesย for CPMS alumni and other localย podiatric physicians to get involvedย as guides in the lab and to networkย with students, who are eager for theย experience.
โStudents love it, even though itย means coming to campus for fourย hours on a Saturday morning,โ sheย says. โDuring the first workshop, weย were not really watching the time untilย I realized it was after 1 p.m. I thinkย they would have stayed all day.โ
