One of SynergyHealth Foot and Ankle's top practitioners, Dr. Ushita Patel, was honored to be featured in the Richmond Academy of Medicine's Services Corporation (RAMSC) newsletter as their newest member. The RAMSC manages daily operations of several prestigious medical societies throughout Greater Virginia, including the Virginia Podiatric Medical Association (VPMA). The RAM is renowned as Virginia's largest and oldest medical society. President of VPMA Dr. Patel proudly spoke on the association's behalf regarding benefits, goals, community outreach, and more.
According to Dr. Patel, the VPMA represents 80% of podiatrists nationwide. Not only do VPMA podiatrists receive a subsidized CME, but they're also invited to attend a highly anticipated annual Scientific Conference in Virginia Beach. VPMA aims to advocate and protect podiatry as a profession in the ever-changing political landscape.
During her interview with RAMSC, Dr. Patel discussed VPMA's future goals, especially its expansion. Besides recruiting new students and interacting with the community to improve foot and ankle care, VPMA advocates for collaborative efforts from the podiatry and medical communities. Such efforts would allow students to strengthen their network of connections and have the option to take the USMLE. With VPMA being a member of a trusted, longstanding medical organization like RAMSC, Dr. Patel believes that podiatrists will be better able to collaborate with the medical community.
Many fail to recognize the rigorous schooling podiatry students must satisfy before becoming certified, including four years of podiatric medical school and a minimum of three years of residency in a hospital-based medical or surgical setting. Many students go on to specialize in foot and ankle surgery or even dermatological foot treatments. The RAMSC can help podiatrists establish fundamental relationships with the medical community to foster a broad range of services in their practices.
SynergyHealth takes a broad-spectrum approach to podiatry, offering various treatment options, such as foot and ankle deformity correction, foot and ankle trauma treatment, pediatric foot and ankle care, and limb salvage practice. Dr. Patel and other practitioners at SynergyHealth proudly contribute to the VPMA community outreach by participating in lectures and donating time to treating the uninsured, promoting quality and holistic healthcare for all.
