‘You can get to anywhere from here’: Surgeons/SC State alums give students hands-on look at podiatric medicine

Dr. William Long and Dr. Kevin Ray are proof of SC State’s results in STEM education.

ORANGEBURG, S.C. — South Carolina State University students were given hands-on lessons in podiatric medicine from two alumni who own two of the largest podiatry practices in the state during a seminar and workshop.

SC State’s Department of Biological and Physical Sciences held a Discover Podiatric Medicine seminar in conjunction with the Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine earlier this month.

The event began with a seminar held in the auditorium of the university’s Engineering and Computer Science Complex, where two alumni who also serve as podiatric surgeons gave students a glimpse into their fields and what they do on a day-to-day basis.

‘A field we need more minorities in’

“I’m starting my 43^rd year with this institution,” said Dr. Judith Salley, a professor and chair of the SC State Department of Biological and Physical Sciences. “That means that we have produced a number of graduates. I’m so proud to say that we have two of those distinguished graduates back with us. They have truly taken their professions on by storm.”

Dr. William Long, who graduated from SC State in 1999 with a biology degree, is owner of Upstate Podiatry, Group PA, a podiatry clinic specializing in foot and ankle care with eight offices across the Upstate, including Simpsonville, Spartanburg, Greer and Laurens.

“We’re still trying to grow because we know we need more podiatric physicians in South Carolina,” Long said.

Long, who sits on the American Podiatric Medical Association Board of Trustees, said the event was significant in helping students, particularly those at HBCUs, learn more about their opportunities in the podiatric medicine field.

“We’re trying to show the students that there’s another field out there that they can be successful in, that they can have a great life, not having to worry about paying back student loans and things like that,” Long said.

“Then there’s the fact that we need more podiatrists because right now, Blacks are getting below-knee amputations at an excessively high rate,” he said. “We’re four times more likely to get an amputation than whites, and usually the podiatrists are the first ones to see them. Plus, we do a lot of foot and ankle surgery. It’s a field that we need more minorities in.”

Dr. Kevin Ray, who graduated from SC State in 1997, is a podiatric surgeon and owner of Physicians Footcare, with practices in Orangeburg, Georgia and New York City.

“I started my practice in Orangeburg with one location, and we grew. We didn’t grow by design. We literally saw opportunities, and we wanted to provide care to certain communities,” Ray said. “So, we continually grew and as of today, we currently own the largest Black-owned medical practice in the state of South Carolina. We have over 28 doctors in that practice.” 

Ray said Long brought the workshop to SC State because he is intentional about representation.

“Only 4 percent of any given profession are Blacks,” Ray said. “Not only is he being very intentional, but he’s pushing the hands of those in leadership who don’t look like us to include us. That’s important. 

“So, he’s really interested in making sure we’re training the next generation of physicians, the next generation of thinkers. Whenever he makes the call, we show up," Ray said.

Clinical workshops provide hands-on learning

Following the informational session, students got hands-on training in suturing and vascular testing and working on a human cadaver during workshops held in Leroy Davis Hall.

“They learn what we were taught in residency, including how to do sutures. We’ll be doing different surgeries. They’ll have X-rays. Most of the students have probably taken anatomy. So now, it’s the application of what they’ve learned,” Long said.

SC State student Zackery Mason, a sophomore biology major from Houston, Texas, looked forward to the cadaver labs.

“Honestly, as hard as it is to look at -- it can be tough -- it’s OK. I think it’s important that we use those specimens to learn and build on skills,” Mason said. “A cadaver is something you would see in medical school, but it’s an honor to be able to see these things close up while still in undergrad.” 

He said the seminar and workshops provided him with an opportunity to learn more about medicine, even though podiatry may not be his specific field of interest.

“I thinking I want to go into like cardio thoracic surgery, or maybe neurology or something like that, but I thought that maybe this will also be something to learn and take something from even if it’s not exactly what I want to do,” Mason said.

SC State student Courtney Johnson, a senior biology major from Savannah, Georgia, said she was ecstatic about attending the clinic and questionnaire session.

“I’m expecting to gain something that I’ve never known before,” she said. “I actually don’t like feet at all, but I don’t want that to disqualify me from actually being interested in taking care of something that I don’t like. 

“If it’s something else that is very intriguing about it, I don’t want to rob myself of that opportunity of getting to know something,” Johnson said. “I like learning, so I want to see what podiatry is actually all about.”

The SC State factor

Long told students they can get the same caliber of education from their HBCU as from predominantly white institutions.

“So, we want to give students that exposure. We want the best of the best, the cream of the crop, and we know South Carolina State has it,” he said.

Mason said SC State has prepared him for whatever he decides to do.

“If you come here, the courses are the same. They’re still very rigorous and going to prepare you just the same. There are tons of resources. Your access to resources is one of the biggest advantages of South Carolina State,” Mason said.

 Johnson said SC State has provided her with the people skills she said she will need in a medical or any other field.

“I know for a fact that I gained that from South Carolina State because I’m actively involved in numerous organizations on campus. It has just equipped me for so much. It’s prepared me for the real world,” Johnson said.

Long and Ray are living proof of SC State’s preparation.

“I think it’s truly important to know that you can get anywhere from here,” Ray said. “It all starts here. I think probably the biggest thing SC State did for me was build my character.

“Will and I love this school, we love this profession, and I wouldn’t change it for anything in the world,” he said.

Why podiatry?

Open wounds, callouses and structural deformities are among the medical issues podiatrists deal with.

“A lot of diabetic patients lose their circulation in their feet, and that’s why they end up with amputations,” Long said. “We’re the first ones to see it because we’re the ones seeing these patients every three months.

“You’d be surprised at the mortality rate just for a diabetic patient with a wound on their foot. Swelling — that tells me a lot. If it’s both legs, it might tell me it’s their kidneys or their heart. So, I need to get them to a cardiologist or a nephrologist. If it’s one leg, it might be a DVT (deep vein thrombosis), which could kill them within a couple of minutes,” Long said.

His goal is prevention.

 “Calluses lead to ulcers, ulcers lead to infections, and infections lead to you going to the hospital and getting admitted,” he said. “Then, I’m having to do surgery on you, which I want to avoid. So, it’s all about prevention.”

Long shared the requirements of what it would take to have a career in podiatric medicine.

“Every podiatrist is a surgeon. You have to do three years of surgical training. You’ll do four years undergrad, four years podiatric medical school and then at least a three-year surgical residency. I did mine at the University of Pennsylvania, but mine was four years,” he said.

Long and Ray were joined by Susan Huggins, a student services specialist within the Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine, who shared information about the school’s program with students.

“At Temple, we own and operate our own clinic. We see about 35,000 patient visits per year. So, our students get a lot of hands-on clinical opportunities,” she said. “There are 11 schools of podiatric medicine in the country. I don’t care what school you go to, but I think it’s important for you to choose the school that you’re going to be most successful at.”

Ray highlighted the value of working in community medicine.

“What’s so good about medicine is anytime you work in health care, you become a resource to your friends, your family,” Ray said. “The work of medicine is not taking care of patients. It’s not doing the surgery. That’s not the work — that’s the job.

“The job is easy. The work is being a valuable part of your community,” he said. “I live in Orangeburg, I work in Orangeburg, my kids are in Orangeburg, but I’m all over the state and country doing different things. And each of you can do the exact same thing from wherever you are.”