Name: Dana Lin

School: Western University of Health Sciences College of Podiatric Medicine

Age: 26

Hometown: Fountain Valley, CA

Undergraduate school and degree(s): University of California, Irvine: BA, Latino/Chicano Studies, and BS, Biological Sciences

Why did you choose podiatry?

I chose podiatry because there is such diversity in the field of podiatric medicine. Podiatrists are able to treat a full range of patients from pediatric to elderly patients with an array of foot ailments such as traumas, ulcers, fractures, nail diseases, congenital deformities, and many more. The ability to alleviate someone’s pain from walking and the array of procedures that I have observed fueled my passion for podiatry.

What is the biggest surprise/challenge about podiatry school so far?

Because my program at Western University shares the same academic curriculum with our osteopathic medical student counterparts, the biggest challenge is to handle the amount of course load and material I have to learn with the shared core curriculum in addition to our podiatry classes. However, I know that this will help me become a better podiatric physician. Trying to balance my family and personal life on top of podiatry school has also been a challenge for me, but I am learning how to “learn” and adapt to these challenges and the heavy course load environment.

Where do you see yourself in 2040?

I see myself in 2040 as a well-established podiatrist and able to build trust and good relationships with all my patients. I hope to see myself working and volunteering with the underserved communities as I want to become a podiatrist who is culturally competent in order to tackle the most fundamental foot and ankle needs of the underserved communities. I see myself in 2040 as a podiatrist serving needs of the Latino community and other diverse communities, other than my own. By then, I also see myself doing research and contributing my part to the podiatric medical community.

What is something surprising about you?

I was the only Asian-American in my Chicano/Latino Studies graduating class. Other than that, another surprising thing about myself is that I know four languages: English, Taiwanese, Mandarin Chinese, and Japanese. I also know some Spanish because it was a requirement to take Spanish as part of my major in Chicano/Latino Studies.