Page 21 - WesternU View Summer 2019

podiatric education with that of the other health “Our students have proven that to not be the case,”
professions, and our outcomes demonstrate the Satterfield said. “They have the highest rate of residency
correctness of our approach,” said WesternU Provost placement of any school in America. Our students have a
Emeritus Gary M. Gugelchuk, PhD. “Now she brings that 100 percent pass rate on their clinical skills physical exam
wealth of background to propel the College to even and ultimately on their boards part 2, which is all
higher levels of achievement.” podiatry. I think we have proven that you can be a good
physician first and then trained to be a podiatrist.”
The reason Satterfield decided to take on the task: CPM
students. Dr. Satterfield is the person best suited to take over as the
next CPM dean, Jones said. She understands CPM’s
“I love our students,” she said. “We wouldn’t be here if it
highly comprehensive and rigorous curriculum, the
weren’t for our students, and they have the potential to
complex nature of regional and professional accreditation
treat so many more people than one person can.”
standards and requirements, and has the highest degree of
CPM students are now more than 90 percent embedded integrity, diligence, intellect and resilience to failure,
with College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific which places the College in good hands.
students, taking much of the same curriculum and tests.
“It is my belief that she
“Because we asked possesses a feeling of a
ourselves a few years ago, “CPM is moving toward having its calling to maintain the
‘When does an orthopedic highest standards that are
surgeon become an students earn a Physicians and the fundamental building
orthopedic surgeon? In his blocks that gave rise to the
or her residency,’” Surgeons Certificate… Western University of
Satterfield said. “Why Health Sciences College of
should it be any different In preparation, WesternU CPM Podiatric Medicine,” Jones
for podiatric physicians students will sit for the said.
and surgeons? We want our Satterfield, who became a
students to be excellent Comprehensive Basic Science podiatrist as a second
doctors first, and then career, never imagined she
trained to be podiatrists.” Examination beginning this year
would be dean one day. She
CPM is moving toward and for the next two years…” first learned about
having its students earn a podiatric medicine while
Physicians and Surgeons working as an investigative
Certificate, which will require approval from the Medical journalist at the El Paso Times. She was investigating a
Board of California, the National Board of Medical medical doctor with questionable practices on the
Examiners, the American Medical Association, and the El Paso-Juarez border, and in the course of her undercover
American Podiatric Medical Association. work met podiatrists who were in the same building as
the subject of her investigation. They specialized in
In preparation, WesternU CPM students will sit for the
diabetic limb salvage and wound care, which she found
Comprehensive Basic Science Examination beginning this
interesting. She continued to visit them to learn more
year and for the next two years, as a preliminary testing
about their profession long after her investigative series
process to identify readiness to sit for the United States
was over.
Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) steps 1, 2 and 3.
“I had always been interested in the medical field,”
“Once we prove our students are passing the same tests
Satterfield said. “In podiatry I saw that patients would
that their DO and MD colleagues do with success, we
come in with a problem and a procedure would be done
have a good argument that we have reached parity,”
for them, whether it was an injection or wound care, and
Satterfield said.
they all seemed to be happy going out. I thought that
One concern emanating from others in the profession is would be really fulfilling and satisfying. You’re helping
whether CPM students would concentrate on becoming somebody and actually making a living doing it. It was so
physicians at the expense of becoming good podiatrists. very different than investigative journalism work where I

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