Spring 2023
Dean's Desk: An Update from Dean Dr. Allan Boike
Dear KSUCPM Community, 
As an alum of our esteemed institution, you’re part of a growing population of over 7,000 member alumni network and Kent State University College of Podiatric Medicine family. As such, there is power in your position and the impact that you can make on the future of the profession.
Not dissimilar from other programs, the profession of podiatric medicine experiences peaks and valleys in its applicant pool - years of full classes and wait lists, followed by a shifting focus on fewer, high-quality students by contrast. As many of you know, each of the eleven colleges have been experiencing the latter of the two. As Doctors of Podiatric Medicine, and as members of the KSUCPM alumni family, I believe it is each of our unique responsibility to invest our time and experience in helping restore the future of podiatric medicine.
I encourage you to pursue an active role in recruiting our successors in podiatric medicine through one of the following avenues:
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Become a ‘Step Into Podiatry’ Mentor. We are the only medical specialty with a built-in shadowing and mentoring platform. If you haven’t already, consider joining, as you are in the best position to showcase the clinical life of a DPM. Mentorship consistently plays a large role in why students pursue podiatry and even why they chose Kent State.
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Connect with our Admissions Team. You may be currently mentoring a prospective student. You may be interested in presenting to a university near you. Our Admissions Team is looking forward to sharing informational presentations, materials, and even promotional items to support your efforts.
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Creatively putting our best foot forward. We have various initiatives to expand the awareness of this medical specialty, and appreciate ‘outside the box’ thinking. Feel free to share your ideas, as they may help us stand out!
In addition, you will soon be able to reclaim your identity as a KSUCPM alum in a new formal organization. The KSUCPM Alumni Alliance, as you will learn about in this newsletter, is forming to engage, cultivate and reinforce a vibrant and inclusive alumni community committed to intellectual, professional, and personal growth amongst its members, serving the community, and deepening connections between the alumni, students, and their alma mater. Read more in the pages of this issue to learn how membership in this new faction may help you to boost the profession.
I hope you will consider supporting the profession by sharing it with those around you. We have created a website specifically designed to make career awareness easy and accessible. Here you will find links to refer students, sample presentations, informational videos, and even social media graphics for easy sharing. Remember, if each and every alum of OCPM / KSUCPM referred one student applicant to the program each year, we could solve the decreasing applicant pool. Referring just one applicant is a great way to give back to the profession that has given us all so much. That’s why we’re offering a free gift when you refer a student to apply to KSUCPM! When they mention your name in their application or interview, we’ll thank you by sending you something special that you can only receive through this process.
Thank you in advance for helping bolster our great College. Wishing you all the best this spring!
Allan Boike, DPM, FACFAS
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