Kelly Powers (’03) credits her strong academic foundation and career success to the “challenging and well-rounded education” she received at Baruch (as a pre-med major incorporating an ad-hoc double major in biology and philosophy, with an entrepreneurship minor). After graduating from the Weissman School of Arts and Sciences, she went on to the University of San Francisco for her MS degree, ultimately returning to New York and the New York College of Podiatric Medicine, from which she received a Doctor of Podiatric Medicine degree in 2010.
Why podiatric medicine? “I wanted a career in health care that encompassed a strong work/life balance while still saving limbs and lives,” she says. “Podiatry enables me to see everything from palliative routine care to elective and emergent surgical patients.”
Upon completing her residency in podiatric medicine and surgery at Boston University School of Medicine/Boston Medical Center in 2012, Powers was accepted into the distinguished Georgetown University School of Medicine/Georgetown University Hospital fellowship program, in the Department of Plastic Surgery. Her training focused on wound care research and surgery, specifically diabetic limb salvage; she published several abstracts and manuscripts in the area of wound care during that time.
In the past few years, Powers has given numerous presentations of her research throughout the U.S. for the American Public Health Association (APHA) and the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons (ACFAS). She recently joined the Associated Podiatrists of Greenwich podiatric medicine and surgery practice in Greenwich, Conn., working at two of their five locations.
It’s a fulfilling career: “My day spans the gamut, ranging from sports medicine–related injuries, diabetic examinations, heel pain, ingrown toenails, wound care, postoperative patients, and even cosmetic procedures,” says Powers. “I love the diversity of cases, but mostly I love that patients often leave a podiatrist’s office feeling better than when they walked through the door.”
—Marina Zogbi