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For Ayat Husain, the road to 91��Ƭ�� University’s College of Podiatric Medicine started with her own two feet.

Ayat Husain grew up in Green, Ohio. After graduating from high school, she joined 91��Ƭ�� in fall 2019, majoring in biology. During that first semester, she learned about the university’s College of Podiatric Medicine. It wasn’t the first time she had heard about podiatric medicine.

A Pathway to Podiatric Medicine

“I have flat feet,” Husain explained. Flat feet are a common condition in which the feet have little or no arches when pressed flat on the ground. “I knew about the podiatry field at a younger age. I thought it was cool, but I was little at the time, so I didn’t know the whole pathway of it. I did look into it a bit during high school, and then once I heard about the program 91��Ƭ�� offers, I was more interested in learning about it.”

Husain found out about the Early Assurance Program, 91��Ƭ��’s pathway that provides qualified students with a clear, supported route to medical, pharmacy and podiatric programs. Acceptance into the program’s Podiatric Pathway offers provisional admission to the Doctor of Podiatric Medicine program at the College of Podiatric Medicine. Admission is contingent upon meeting academic criteria and maintaining professional conduct.

“Basically, with the Early Assurance Program, you’re able to apply, you do your personal statement, you do your interview and then you can take the MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) once you’re done with your undergraduate courses,” she said. “Once I passed the MCAT, I was able to start at the College of Podiatric Medicine in fall 2023.”

During her time at 91��Ƭ��, Husain was involved in the Kent Student Ambassadors, the American Medical Student Association and other student organizations. She remembers representatives from the College of Podiatric Medicine being brought in for club meetings to talk more about the medical field. The college also hosts suturing workshops and other events on the Kent Campus, making undergraduates aware of the podiatric medicine college and the pathway to a Doctor of Podiatric Medicine degree through 91��Ƭ��. There are also opportunities to shadow podiatric medicine doctors.

“I was still an undergraduate at the time when I got to shadow them at the Midtown Clinic, which is a clinic in Cleveland where the College of Podiatric Medicine has all the students go as third- and fourth-year medical students,” Husain said. “When you’re shadowing doctors, you get to see what you’re going to get yourself into, because podiatry or any other medical field, you have to see it before you want to be in it.”

From her shadowing experience, Husain realized that she wanted to pursue podiatric medicine.

Hands-On Training

Husain received her undergraduate degree in biology with a concentration in pre-medicine/pre-podiatry/pre-dentistry from 91��Ƭ�� in fall 2022. A year later, she enrolled at 91��Ƭ��’s College of Podiatric Medicine. In her first two years of podiatry school, she and her fellow students were exposed to general medicine courses, such as human anatomy, medicine, pathology, microbiology, pharmacology, physiology, biochemistry and physical diagnosis, to name a few. “We get the full picture because everything is connected and does affect the lower extremity,” she said.

During her third year as a medical student, she began interacting with patients and getting more hands-on experience. Third-year students complete nine rotations, including surgery and wound care in local hospitals. Husain completed her surgery rotation at the Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Cleveland and her wound care rotation at University Hospitals Lake West Medical Center in Willoughby, Ohio. She also completed rotations at the Midtown Clinic in Cleveland and the College of Podiatric Medicine's clinic in Independence.

I like podiatry because you have the clinical aspect and you have the surgery aspect,” Husain said. “You can do so much with the field. You can do surgery. You can do wound care. You can do sports medicine. You can do pediatrics. There are so many different aspects that you can do within the field.

“I like the work-life balance of it as well,” she continued. “The work-life balance is pretty good because you do have a set time where it’s from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. It’s also rewarding because you can be doing the smallest thing, and the patients feel immediate relief. Let’s just say someone has an ingrown toenail, and you help them with that. They feel immediate relief. Or, if you have kids who come in with flat feet and you give them an orthotic. They feel different. It’s rewarding how you can do the smallest, little things, and they feel it’s the best thing ever.”

For 91��Ƭ�� undergraduates who might be interested in podiatric medicine, Husain recommends contacting the 91��Ƭ�� College of Podiatric Medicine Ambassadors, a group of current students who represent the college, lead campus tours during interview days, host workshops for prospective students and promote the field of podiatric medicine. She also recommends attending an open house, where students are introduced to podiatry, and the ambassadors are there to answer questions.

“The open house is pretty useful because you get to suture, you get to do podiatry skills and you get to ask questions,” she said. “There are also many presentations that go over our pathway. The more you see as an undergrad, the more it will help. I think exposing yourself and learning as much as you can are important.”

Husain plans to graduate with her Doctor of Podiatric Medicine degree in 2027. She hopes to stay in Ohio for her residency and do a variety of surgery and clinic work. She also hopes to see pediatric patients because there are not a lot of pediatric podiatrists, she said.

Husain looks forward to helping people. 

Feet are very important,” she said. “You need your feet to move around and do all the activities you want. I feel that if you don’t have that, or they’re hurting you or you’re not comfortable with them, then you can’t do all those things. My goal is to help as much as I can in the communities and help them be on their feet again.

91��Ƭ�� 91��Ƭ��’s College of Podiatric Medicine

Located in Independence, Ohio, about 10 miles south of Cleveland, the College of Podiatric Medicine is 91��Ƭ��’s medical school, where students develop the skills and knowledge to become podiatric physicians and surgeons. Doctors of podiatric medicine diagnose, treat and prevent foot and ankle disorders. It is one of only 11 podiatric medicine schools and colleges in the nation and the only one in Ohio.

91��Ƭ��’s College of Podiatric Medicine has graduated more than 7,000 podiatric medicine doctors throughout its history. 91��Ƭ�� is playing a critical role in addressing the nation’s need for qualified foot and ankle specialists at a time when diabetes, obesity and an aging population are driving demand for podiatric care to record levels.

Podiatric medicine combines clinical and surgical care with the ability to build lasting, meaningful patient relationships. Doctors of podiatric medicine can specialize in a variety of areas, including sports medicine, diabetic wound care, dermatology, radiology, limb salvage, pediatrics and surgery. They can work in a variety of settings, including private practices, clinics, hospitals and educational environments. Physicians specializing in podiatric medicine are the only doctors to receive specialized medical and surgical training and board certification in the care of the lower extremity, which is the part of the body from the hip to the toes.

Learn more about 91��Ƭ��’s College of Podiatric Medicine.

91��Ƭ�� has a personalized support system designed to help its students prepare for admission to professional schools in medicine, dentistry, podiatric medicine, pharmacy, veterinary medicine, optometry, physician assistant studies and other health-related fields. Contact 91��Ƭ��’s Pre-Health Programs Office for information and assistance.

Find information about the Podiatric Pathway.