APMA News - January/February 2021 - 13

" A man never becomes a
surgeon. He is, rather,
continually in the process of
'becoming' a surgeon. I
knew then, as I know now,
that after every operation I
performed, every decision I
made, every crisis I met, I
would be a bit more of a
surgeon than I had been. I
would continue to learn
more of the art of surgery
each day that I practiced it. "
- The Making of a Surgeon by William A. Nolen,
MD3
dad, and grandparents instilled values in me that are similar
to those of the people I have mentioned.
These were the people who made me the man and the leader I am today. From them, I've realized that there are a few
qualities that make a leader great. First: passion for the collective goal and a willingness to do more work than you ask of
others. Second: the courage to fight when you really believe
in the cause. Third: the vision through experience to direct
others toward that common goal.
APMA News: You have been very active in terms of outreach to
and collaboration with the orthopedic surgeons and other medical
specialties. How do you think those relationships will benefit APMA?
Dr. DeSantis: Our relationship with orthopedic surgery
was delicate in the past; we had turf battles locally and nationally. I feel that we have handled those with integrity and
honesty in the way we portray ourselves and the training our
colleagues receive today. These days, we enjoy a more collaborative relationship focused on our mutual goals.
My first surgical case in practice was an ankle, and I needed
an orthopedic surgeon as a proctor, so I contacted Daniel
Stein, MD. We added my case to the end of his block, and we
grabbed a bite afterward. It was the beginning of a close personal friendship and rewarding professional relationship.

Over the years, I have assisted him on multiple orthopedic
cases, which is why I see how important it is to allow podiatric surgeons to assist on any surgical case. Over the past several decades, podiatric and orthopedic medicine have worked
together on many projects, starting with the Nelson-Medio
Report2 [a seminal study of podiatric residency training conducted by the California Medical Board in 1993]. We also
worked together during the passage of AB 932 when we invited orthopedic surgeons to tour our podiatric medical school
in San Francisco and several of our residency programs.
Most recently, my close friend, [APMA Past President] Ira
Kraus, DPM, and I spoke with Tom Lee, MD (whom many
APMA members know as he has worked with podiatric residents and fellows in Columbus, OH), and we set up a national task force known as the Joint Task Force of Orthopedic
Surgeons and Podiatric Surgeons. The task force now consists
of two members of the American College of Foot and Ankle
Surgeons [ACFAS], Chris Reeves, DPM, and John Steinberg,
DPM; two American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society
members, Michael Aranow, MD, and Bryan Den Hartog, MD;
two American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons members,
Steven Ross, MD, and James Ficke, MD; along with Dr. Kraus
and me, representing APMA. Over the past few years, we
have met several times in person, and meeting face to face
and developing relationships has been instrumental in so
APMA News January/February 2021

APMA News - January/February 2021

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