A Look at What Comes Next

Programs at the fair included Northwell Health, the University of Pennsylvania, Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center, Boston University, Penn Medicine and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Students had taken the first part of their board examinations two weeks earlier and had recently begun spending more time in the clinic. During their fourth year, they will complete monthlong externships at residency programs.

“We can get so caught up in clinic or studying,” said third-year student Michelle Nguyen. “This gives us a few hours to focus on what we’re really here for—to build our future.”

Nguyen attended with classmate Joanne McNulty. Neither had settled on an externship list, though McNulty was already interested in Emory. “There are so many programs out there,” McNulty said. “I might as well take a look.”

McNulty became interested in the profession while working in a podiatry office during a gap period after college. She enjoyed the work and found that the podiatrists she met were happy with their careers. Nguyen was drawn to surgery. “I felt podiatry was a great way to ensure you become a surgeon,” she said. “All podiatrists learn how to be surgeons and go to surgical residencies.”

Third-year student Christina Yacoub arrived with several programs in mind and left interested in one she had not previously considered. “I spoke to a program that wasn’t on my list that I actually like now,” she said. “Sometimes there is more information than what is listed on the website.” Yacoub wants a residency where she can see both forefoot and rearfoot cases and rotate through services such as vascular medicine. She plans to remain in New York and said travel time will also factor into her decision.

Mamoor Hussain, who is from Monroe, New Jersey, was also concentrating on programs in New York and New Jersey. He wanted to hear about the cases residents treat cases and the variety of attending physicians involved in their training. “I like ankle and hindfoot pathologies,” Hussain said. “I want to see which residency offers that to the best extent that they’re able to.”

Hussain had initially considered pursuing an M.D. or D.O. degree but wanted some assurance that surgery would be part of his career. Podiatric medicine offered the chance to treat lower-extremity conditions and perform reconstructive work. At the fair, he was particularly interested in health systems where residents could learn from attending physicians with different specialties and different approaches to surgery.

For Syed Shah, the most useful conversations were with NYCPM graduates who had recently been students themselves. “When someone comes from your program and is guiding you directly, it keeps you in a much better state of mind,” Shah said. “You know what to expect. You know the reality.”

Shah left particularly interested in Richmond University Medical Center on Staten Island and Jamaica Hospital. He was looking for more than a particular set of procedures. “I value a family feeling,” he said. “Competition is great and useful, and it forces you to be the best. But when you’re comfortable in an environment with people who know you have their back and they have yours, it makes it more effective.”

One of the representatives from Richmond University Medical Center was Max Sanginano, an NYCPM Class of 2024 graduate and the program’s chief resident. Sanginano chose Richmond partly because its director performs minimally invasive bunion surgery and minimally invasive ankle fusions, procedures Sanginano hopes to incorporate into his own practice. His connection to podiatry began well before medical school: His father graduated from NYCPM in 1988. “I’m a legacy,” Sanginano said. “I followed in his footsteps.”

Being chief resident comes with additional responsibilities, Sanginano said, but it has also been rewarding. Asked what helps someone succeed in residency, he said residents need to be good team players and able to function on very little sleep.

At the same table was Muhammad Umair Husain, a 2025 NYCPM graduate. Several former classmates and students from neighboring graduating classes were also back at NYCPM representing their residency programs. “It’s very nostalgic,” Husain said. “A lot of us went through the trenches together.”

Richmond is a Level I trauma center, and Husain told students that its residents see traumatic injuries, chronic and diabetic wounds, and limb-salvage cases. Students interested in the program should know that those areas make up a significant part of the training. A strong resident, he said, is “someone who comes prepared, someone who is responsible and someone who is eager to learn.”

What surprised Husain most was how quickly residents learned once training began. “You go in as an untrained student, and you walk out of the first year completely different,” he said. “You have cases under your belt. It’s a very rewarding feeling.”

Christina Mello, an NYCPM Class of 2024 graduate, returned to represent Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center. She wanted to remain on the East Coast near her family and was looking for a residency with extensive surgical training. After visiting Cooperman Barnabas and completing an externship there, she decided it offered the range of experience she wanted during her three years of residency.

“You learn a lot,” Mello said. “It’s challenging, but very rewarding. You come out a different person, but for the better.” As she moved through residency, she saw her surgical skills improve, became quicker at making diagnoses and grew more comfortable in her interactions with patients.

Mello said students sometimes assume they must be at the top of their class to earn a position at the program they want. “And that’s not true,” she said. At Cooperman Barnabas, the residents and program director decide collectively which applicants to accept. They pay attention to whether students show effort, remain engaged and offer to help.

“A lot of times, we’re just looking for effort,” Mello said. “Thoughtfulness, lending a helping hand or showing that you’re interested—just being engaged and involved in the day-to-day. That’s really all that we look for.”