A Secret Love

On research and big data

“I was good at research, so why shouldn’t I say yes?”

When I was in my first year as a podiatry student at the Dr. William M. Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine, I was reminded daily, in my science-heavy course load, that my college undergrad major had been business management. Throughout my undergrad time, I knew I wanted to study medicine — business was my backup plan — so I had the prerequisites for biochemistry and neuroscience, but unlike many of my classmates, I had no track record in either, so at times, I struggled to maintain my confidence.

A few years earlier, in my clinical training at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida, I had made a surprising discovery about myself: I learned that I enjoyed research. I loved every detail about oncology research, even the most tedious minutiae, and I worked in the same research lab for years. Still, I knew I wanted to treat patients hands-on, so I never thought research would occupy much of my time in my future career. My time in research would be a blip on the screen, a happy memory.

Flash forward to the Understanding and Implementing Research course at Scholl. On day one, Professor Adam Fleischer, DPM, went around our small-group room and asked each student, one by one: “What is your research background?” and “Would you like to do research?” There was a spark in me at the very question, but everyone else in the room seemed to shrink. I could practically read their minds: “I can’t take on extra work”; “Research is boring.” So, when Dr. Fleischer got to me, I said quietly, “No, I’m not interested.” But the moment I got home that afternoon, I regretted not having confessed my love for research, and I knew I needed the positive feedback loop, despite how much extra work it would be.

I was good at research, so why shouldn’t I say yes? I emailed the professor and let him know I’d changed my mind. Since that moment, I’ve never stopped doing research. After med school, I got my master’s degree in public health, and big data is now central to my podiatry practice. But even more, I use it to help our specialty understand outcomes, patient satisfaction and the uses of technology to improve lives. And I love every minute of the research — gathering, analyzing and reporting data to support my work and the work of my colleagues across the country — and most importantly, to improve the care of patients with foot and ankle problems.