Clinical Experience Opportunities

The Gengras Podiatry Clinic at St. Francis continues to be one of the strengths of the residency program. Every Monday the clinic operates from 9am to 4pm, under the supervision of a Podiatry attending, and services the greater Hartford area. The clinic allows the residents to treat various podiatric conditions including flatfoot/cavus deformities, arthritic conditions, dermatological conditions, forefoot and rearfoot pathologies, Achilles tendon injuries, fractures and more.

The Wound Center at St. Francis also provides residents and students with a hands- on experience in the evaluation and management of all types of lower extremity wounds. We emphasize a team approach to wound management with involvement of multiple specialties such as vascular surgery, infectious disease, internal medicine, and plastic surgery among others.

Residents and students gain knowledge in both conservative and surgical management of foot and ankle pathology as well as wound care. Of note is that these are resident-run clinic in which residents schedule surgeries as needed, work up the patients preoperatively, select the appropriate surgical procedure for the patient, perform the operation with a senior attending, and perform all follow up care for the patient post-operatively. Residents gain valuable comprehension in perioperative management including potential surgical complications. Residents work under the guidance of Podiatric Surgeons with advanced training in the field of wound care and are qualified to take the Certified Wound Specialist (CWS) board exam upon graduation.

Management of patients admitted to St. Francis for more critical medical and surgical care, such as foot and ankle trauma and diabetic foot infections, is key to the overall training of our residents. With a typical high volume of in-patients, the residents work with multiple service lines/specialties to provide these patients with more intensive medical and surgical management of more complicated conditions.