Footnotes Summer 2024 - 26

From the Field to
the Clinic: Dr. Arman
Kirakosian's Journey
in Podiatry and Sports
Medicine
By Rameesha Asif-Sattar, WesternU-CPM Class of 2026
Dr. Arman Kirakosian, D.P.M. FACFAS, DABPM
Biography
Dr. Arman Kirakosian is a distinguished foot and ankle
surgeon who completed his three-year surgical residency
at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in
San Francisco. Following his residency, he established a
successful private practice in San Carlos and San Bruno.
Dr. Kirakosian has made significant contributions to the
podiatric surgical literature, publishing numerous articles on
foot and ankle pathologies.
During his training, he had the privilege of working with many
leading surgeons in the country, including Dr. Thomas Chang,
who inspired him to pursue his professional aspirations with
determination. In 2015, Dr. Kirakosian joined the VA Medical
Center in San Francisco as a podiatric surgeon and assumed
the role of Director of the Podiatric Surgical and Medical
Residency in 2016.
In 2020, Dr. Kirakosian was appointed as the team podiatrist
for the Sacramento Republic FC of the USL, and in 2021, he
joined the San Jose Earthquakes of MLS in the same capacity.
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He has been a dedicated educator at San Francisco State
University (SFSU) since 2006, teaching anatomy and aiming
to impart the knowledge and skills he has acquired throughout
his career to his students. Dr. Kirakosian is passionate about
integrating surgical techniques and medical pathology into his
teaching, striving to inspire and educate the next generation of
medical professionals.
Currently, Dr. Kirakosian oversees six residents and numerous
podiatric surgical students at the Department of Veterans
Affairs Medical Center in San Francisco. He also teaches lower
extremity anatomy to podiatric medical students at Samuel
Merritt University's College of Podiatric Medicine.
Early Life and Inspiration
Q. Let's start with your journey. Can you tell us a bit about
what inspired you to pursue podiatry and sports medicine?
My initial introduction to podiatry came through my father,
who did billing for two podiatry offices in Southern California,
in the Glendale area. I started shadowing the two doctors
there and got a firsthand look at what podiatry entails. During
SUMMER 2024
Footnotes Summer 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Footnotes Summer 2024
