Page 24 - WesternU View Summer 2019

Lester Jones, DPM, MSEd, Professor Emeritus, and Lawrence Harkless, DPM, Founding Dean Emeritus, College of Podiatric Medicine

Building a better College of Podiatric Medicine

Lester J. Jones, DPM, MSEd, retired April 30, 2019 from “We really took this to another level,” Jones said. “Our
Western University of Health Sciences’ College of Podiatric goal was to take the training and education of a podiatrist
Medicine (CPM) after serving more than 13 years as a to a higher level than had been seen in this profession,
consultant, professor, executive associate dean and interim and our impetus was to focus on not only producing a
dean while helping to establish the foundational bedrock high-quality, comprehensively trained podiatric physician
upon which the College was built. And it all started with a and surgeon, but also one that would qualify for a
Friday afternoon phone call from his longtime friend and Physician and Surgeons Certificate, which we felt here in
classmate, Lawrence Harkless, DPM. California was of paramount importance, especially with
the direction that health care was heading.”
“He says, ‘Lester, are you ready?’ And I said, ‘Ready? I
think I know what you’re talking about. Are you talking Harkless and Jones joined WesternU as consultants in
about starting a school?’ Jones said. “We always talked 2005, and then as founding dean and associate dean for
over the last 30 years about developing a college of academic affairs, respectively, when the College of
podiatric medicine.” Podiatric Medicine started in 2007.
But not just any college. The curriculum was designed to Jones had served the academic arms of the podiatry
assure CPM was at the forefront of podiatric medical profession at every level — as Vice Chair of the Council
education and training. on Podiatric Medical Education (CPME), president of the

22 | WESTERNU VIEW Summer/Fall 2019