Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine - Achilles Yearbook (Philadelphia, PA)

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CLASS OF 1975 As you approach the termination of your formal education you do so with mixed emotions. On the one hand you are ecstatic with regard to the finality of lectures, class notes, the College clinic and examinations. But you also have an apprehension about the immediate future of a residency program and or private practice. Am I ready for the outside world? Can I relate to patients — independently? Am I clinically prepared for the full responsibility of patient care? Will I be successful in private practice? The ecstasy of leaving formal education is short lived. The apprehensions of private practice will linger for at least several years. Rest assured, you have reached the level of doctor with a better education and a firmer foundation than you think. Therefore, you should approach the future with hope and self-confidence. Time will take care of most of your present fears. Time will also make your education obsolete. You are now solely responsible for your continuing education. Do not get lost in your practice. 1'heeducational world will pass you by. Use the College of Podiatric Medicine as your foundation for self-education. The local universities and academic health science centers are also educational resources. Use all of these resources to full advantage, for your responsibilities as a health care provider are awesome. Good luck in practice. Our years together have been enjoyable. Sincerely, Charles W. Gibley. Ph.D. Vice President for Academic Affairs Dear Class of 1975: One of the unfortunate results of moving to a new position is that there is not enough time in one year to get to know fully one of the key segments of the College — the graduating class. 1 have always enjoyed my relationship with seniors (or in PCPM’S case the fourth year students), because, mixed in with the anxiousness to get out into the world, there are varying degrees of consternation over the hopes not realized and the desired changes not brought about. 1 find this exhilarating and a source for ideas for the future. To those of you 1 have now had the fortune to get to know; my appreciation for your willingness to share your experiences: to those of you I did not get to know as well. I look forward to meeting you as alumni at reunions and professional meetings; to all. my most sincere congratulat ions and best wishes for a healthy and fruitful life. Sincerely, LaurenceC. Sartor, Ph.D. Vice President For Student Affairs 5

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TO THE CLASS OF 1975 As you go out into a world full of turmoil, it may be helpful to remember that turmoil is a chronic condition, and the most you can hope for is to alleviate the symptoms without catching the disease. Progress is a product of const motive turmoil. Had it not been for a millennium of dissent and controversy, you could have learned all there was to know by reading Aristotle. Except for a century of brash revolutionaries, foot specialists would still be trotting from door to door like t inkers. A combination of constantly raising standards of learning, and constantly keeping things stirred up, brought podiatric medicine to the prestigious position it now enjoys. A decade of innovation and outstanding achievement brought this college the honor of being the first institution invited to join the University City Science Center since that august organization was formed. The faculty and administrators are grateful for the important role the students and alumni have played in winning the college the recognition it deserves, and are keenly aware that our students’ initiative in establishing liaison with students in other health fields is a promising development that will yield higher and higher re i urns with each passing year. Half a century ago, many graduates of our schools settled down in quiet pract ices. They were contented. There may still be a place where you can settle down in a quiet practice and be contented — for a while. But great changes are impending in the health field, and it is up to you and others who understand health problems to see to it that the emerging systems of healthcare are better than what we have, not just different. Idealism alone is no more capable of designing a workable health system than it is of designing a suspension bridge. Neither can a good health system be designed by engineers who think in terms of assembly lines. If engineering knowhow can help us get some of the kinks out of our systems, fine. But good health care cannot be mass produced. You and other health professionals will have to stsnd between the idealists and the engineers, not to keep them apart but to bring them together in a wav thut will benefit patients, and therefore will increase the quality of practitioners. Accomplishing this will take acumen, persuasiveness and persistence. Armed with these qualities, with which you are well endowed, you will be able to guide the currents of change. And if ever things settle down and everything is running smoothly, I hope you will think of a way to stir up some more good, healthy turmoil. 4 ■lames E. Bates, DPM President

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“I’d rather wake up in the middle of nowhere than in any city on earth.” Steve McQueen