Dr. Jennifer Gerres: Podiatrist Hello Dr. Gerres! Please tell us a little bit about your job. Dr. Jennifer Gerres: Hello! I am a Doctor of Podiatric Medicine, or DPM. I treat problems of the foot and ankle. Were you always interested in science and medicine? If not, when did you develop that interest? Yes. I’m passionate about many things and I think history was my first love, but science came easy to me. It satiated my curiosity and energy. Everything is science: how vegetables grow, how we breathe, how our clothes are made, how we take photographs, etc. There are scientific principles behind almost everything. My parents were awesome in fostering a love of science. My mom would take my little brother and I fossil hunting and my dad was very patient in answering my questions. They let us create. Growing up, I loved 3-2-1 Contact and Bill Nye the Science Guy. I remember going to Girl Scout day camp at eight and the theme was space. That was my first memory of science as something I wanted to do. The NASA scientist tried to light one of the space shuttle panels with a blowtorch to demonstrate reentry into the atmosphere and we argued about who would be Sally Ride during the simulation- which was very sad because there should be more than one female astronaut to fight over. Why did you decide on podiatry? After college, I studied to be a surgical technologist, which is a great profession. I knew that I wanted to be a surgeon and this allowed me to experience all types of surgical specialties. I was very lucky to go on two surgical missions to the Dominican Republic and there I had one of my first experiences with podiatry, or more importantly, lack of podiatry. On my return home, I learned what a podiatrist could do and I decided it was the career for me. Podiatry has everything: trauma, infections, sports medicine, and correction of foot and ankle deformities. It’s a profession that combines geometry, physics, and biology. What are some of the biggest challenges and rewards of practicing medicine? The biggest challenge would be time management. It can be a very selfish profession because often a doctor could be putting a stranger’s needs above friends, family, and herself. Fun things like concerts or parties have to be put on hold. The reward is enjoying what I do. I spend my day as a detective, diagnosing

foot and ankle problems. There are twenty-six bones in the foot and over one hundred muscles, tendons, and ligaments. I work with my hands building and fixing these bones and soft tissues in surgery. Roughly 14% of podiatrists are women. How do you think the field would change if more women got involved? More role models; this is so important in the academic setting. I realize now that I was very lucky to have so many female attending physicians during my residency (a special training after medical school). A few spoke at scientific conferences at the national level, all were at different points in their careers. It’s a total boost of confidence to see a woman with a drill in her hand. It would also help to change the patients’ perspectives. I don’t think our male colleagues will ever understand what it’s like to hear “So, when am I going to see the doctor?” Yes, in 2015, it is still a mind-blowing concept that a doctor can be a woman. Just for fun: what was your experience on Jeopardy like? Awesome. I love trivia. My parents still have the photo prominently displayed. What does your typical day look like? I spend my days seeing patients. The type of visit varies with the patient. One patient could have an ankle sprain and the next could have an infected ingrown toenail. When I see a patient, I ask her about her complaint and perform an exam. I may have the staff obtain x-rays so I could see what the broken bone looks like or if there is a structural issue to the foot that could cause pain. When I am not seeing patients, I may be in the operating room performing surgery. If I’m not in the office or the operating room, I may be giving a lecture on a topic in podiatry. If you could give one piece of advice to a girl who wants to become a doctor, what would it be? There are many paths to becoming a doctor. In college, I studied Environmental Science. I collected insects, tested soil samples, and waded in streams for four years. It wasn’t until my senior year that I decided I wanted to pursue medicine. My mother, who was a nurse, had discouraged me as she understood the sacrifices doctors must make. I think she wanted me to experience life and to grow up before I made the decision to dedicate almost ten years of my life to becoming a practicing doctor (medical school and residency). I’m grateful for this. Dr. Jennifer Gerres DPM is a 2010 graduate of Des Moines University College of Podiatric Medicine and Surgery. In 2014, she completed her residency at the Cleveland Clinic.