School of Podiatric Medicine

Program Overview

The educational philosophy and mission of the LECOM School of Podiatric Medicine (SPM) is to prepare students for residency training using a holistic approach where podiatric medical students have an understanding of the overall health of patients while specializing in preventing and treating disorders of the foot and ankle.

The program curriculum is designed to maximize student learning by integrating various teaching pedagogies, such as traditional. lectures, labs, small group discussions, problem-based learning, and evidence-based medicine. All courses are supported by the latest technology. Many courses are taken jointly with the osteopathic medical students. The relationship with the osteopathic program provides the opportunity to gain valuable insight into the virtues of interprofessional practice.

The program curriculum is four years in length and follows a two-plus-two format. The first two years consist of basic science, clinical systems, and podiatric specific courses. Integrated into the first two years are courses that introduce students to healthcare management, medical jurisprudence, research/biostatistics, and sociocultural aspects of human behavior. Students begin their formal clinical rotations at the end of the second year. Years three and four are dedicated to a variety of medical specialty and podiatric clinical training experiences. These rotations occur at various clinical training sites ranging from rural clinics to major medical center, including those associated with LECOM Health.

Mission Statement of the School of Podiatric Medicine

The mission of the LECOM School of Podiatric Medicine is to prepare students through an innovative curriculum, scholarship opportunities, and service e experiences for residency training who are dedicated to improving the overall health and wellness of all members of society through the practice of podiatric medicine.

Strategic Planning Goals of the School of Podiatric Medicine

The program curriculum is designed to maximize student learning by integrating various teaching pedagogies, such as traditional.

• Achieve candidate status leading to full accreditation by the Council on Podiatric Medical Education.

• Enroll diverse classes of highly motivated and qualified applicants having the greatest opportunity to successfully complete the program and advance to residency training.

• Develop and deliver a rigorous innovative podiatric medical curriculum to meet current and future needs of the podiatric professional and communities served by graduates.

• Recruit and integrate into the LECOM community a cohort of motivated faculty dedicated to teaching, scholarship, patient care, and service.

• Create a research enterprise that engages faculty and students leading to the discovery and communication of new knowledge.

• Expand podiatric services provided by clinical faculty to the Erie and surrounding communities.

• Create a sufficient number of residency positions to accommodate students graduating from the School of Podiatric Medicine.

Facilities

LECOM provides a safe environment for all members of the LECOM community. The 50-acre LECOM main campus is located along West Grandview Boulevard in Erie, PA. The campus grounds are well maintained, which helps creates a sense of pride and belonging to a first-class organization. Students are provided an exceptional learning environment in the form of lecture halls, labs, study space, library resources, research space, and a virtual bookstore. LECOM facilities are designed so that every detail lends itself to the mission of teaching students how to care for patients.

All LECOM facilities offer the latest instructional technology. Lecture halls have ‘smart classroom’ equipment with wireless and wired computer network connections for student laptops. Classrooms offer multi-media presentations and faculty control and illustrate presentations from the lectern. An online learning management system is used to augment student learning.

Students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to maintain their own health and well-being by utilizing the outdoor athletic fields and running/walking trails located on the main campus. In close proximity to the campus is the LECOM Medical Fitness and Wellness Center, which is a world class 82,000 square foot medically integrated health and fitness center that offers the following amenities:

• Full-service locker rooms
• Three lap pools
• Exercise and warm water therapy pool
• Strength training and cardio equipment
• Group exercise studios
• Gymnasium with multiple basketball courts
• Racquetball courts
• Zen garden

The Erie Community

The entire city of Erie can be seen from the main campus. Looking beyond Presque Isle State Park, which is Erie’s crown jewel for summer vacationing and year-round recreational activity, one can watch ships sailing across Lake Erie into southern Ontario, Canada. The campus offers the unique juxtaposition of small-town charm and security with the amenities of a much larger city. Tree-lined neighborhoods and community parks are as welcoming as the area’s low cost of living, four-season climate, and picturesque beauty.

Erie is located almost equidistant from Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Buffalo, and within 500 miles of more than half of the U.S. population, Erie is easily accessible by car, train, or plane.

Over 4 million people are drawn to Pennsylvania’s only “seashore” each year and Erie has grown to become Pennsylvania’s fourth-largest city. Once a hub for maritime commerce, commercial fishing and manufacturing, Erie and its surrounding communities are now a center for tourism, healthcare, and higher education. The city boasts four hospitals and five colleges/universities, as well as a number of trade and technical schools.

To become part of the community, LECOM encourages student involvement and leadership, under the mentorship of staff, in local service activities. Students and staff are actively involved in various community service events, some of which include program specific outreach prevention education, health fairs, and various charity runs/walks.

Visit www.LECOM.edu/communities/erie/ for more information on the Erie community.