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A wonderful journey with Dr. Tea, DPM

by · March 2, 2021

Introducing and saluting Dr. Tea

March is Women’s History Month and we are excited to recognize Dr. Tea Nguyen, DPM. Dr. Tea is a podiatrist, wound care specialist, reconstructive surgeon, wife, and mom. She owns a successful practice in Freedom, CA,  Pacific Point Podiatry. Dr. Tea’s practice offers telepodiatry and during the pandemic, they are observing CDC guidelines with their limited appointments. https://831feet.com/

I learned about Dr.Tea’s love for podiatry and her skills through her popular Instagram site, https://www.instagram.com/drtea_podiatry/ She frequently posts her surgical challenges and triumphs in before and after photographs. A video on the Pacific Point Podiatry website features a patient who was scheduled for a diabetic amputation prior to visiting Dr. Tea. That patient now enjoys playing golf in his retirement years with his foot intact. He credits Dr. Tea with saving his foot.  https://youtu.be/MxPP2su6tXI.

Dr. Tea’s parents moved to the US from Vietnam before she was born. She learned about podiatry in her final year of undergraduate school. She liked the defined pathway a career in podiatry offers, along with the financial stability a medical profession offers.  A Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (DPM) program includes earning a bachelor’s degree in either chemistry, physics, and biology. This degree is followed by four years of podiatry school that includes two years of clinical and advanced coursework in orthopedics, sports medicine, and surgical procedures. After completing three to four years of residency, and passing board examinations, a podiatrist can begin their practice.

Getting fired, quitting, or success

This seemed very manageable to Dr. Tea but she encountered unexpected challenges along the way. Lacking a professional mentor and role model, Dr. Tea learned that being skilled medically was not the only ingredient needed to be a successful podiatric surgeon. Overcoming the “high level of toxicity,” she faced during her first year of residency, Dr. Tea felt she was on the “cusp or either getting fired from the program or quitting.”

She took the initiative to strengthen and develop the emotional intelligence skills required to grow including active listening, empathy, self-awareness, self-recognition, and social skills. Developing these, along with acquiring ‘thicker skin’, complimented her medical skills perfectly and set her up for the success and devotion she has from her patients today. Dr. Tea earned her DPM license from Des Moines University, Iowa in 2011. She completed her residency in 2014 at St. John Macomb-Oakland Hospital, Michigan focusing on Reconstructive Foot & Rearfoot Surgery. Wound Care Fellowship Training at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center followed in 2015.

A wonderful journey

After six years of private practice, Dr. Tea says she is, “only now discovering how much there is to know about podiatry. I get to serve people from all different backgrounds and help people with foot pain or deformity. I really enjoy educating my patients about how to care for their feet and share with them the new medical treatments on the horizon. I am constantly learning and patients appreciate that.”
Today, Dr. Tea has a professional business mentor, and she mentors others. She enjoys being her own boss, explaining, “Doctors have sacrificed so much for the betterment of their community but are treated as commodities. In this age, being a physician just simply isn’t enough anymore. You have to also learn the business side of medicine, and a mentor can help you create the life exactly how you imagined it, whether you want to remain employed or be your own boss. For me, being a self-employed podiatrist has been the perfect fit for me and my family. I can’t imagine it any other way.”

Podiatry is a male-dominated field but each year increasing numbers of women view it as a viable career option. It may not be the easiest career, but Dr. Tea and thousands of other female podiatrists successfully overcome the challenges each year. According to Dr. Tea, “It has been a wonderful journey.

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ilovemyfeet@ilovemyfeetdays.com

Carolyn D. Jenkins is the founder and CEO of CjQenterprises, which develops and promotes creative ideas and products that lift you up! She is an award winning author, the founder of The Jenkins Donelson Foundation, JDF, the creator annual National I LOVE My Feet Day!,and the Health and Wellness site found here, on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest, entitled I LOVE My Feet DayS! Carolyn's interest in feet began in college when she met a young lady who was born without arms. The student used her feet as hands by writing and eating with them. Everyone on campus was very impressed with that students' ability to overcome adversity and the respect and awe she garnered was well deserved. Carolyn earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Education and never forgot the young lady. Carolyn learned about the importance of good foot care from her mother, who was a diabetic. After Carolyn experienced foot pain she visited a podiatrist and discovered she had fallen arches. Carolyn traced the cause back to wearing flip flops that didn't provide arch support. Years later, after two pinky toe breaks, Carolyn's appreciation and respect for feet deepened and she wrote an ode to feet. In the spring of 2015 a talented illustrator brought her poem to life and Carolyn published My Feet: An Ode, which celebrates the wonderful versatility our feet provide us throughout our lifetime. Publishing My Feet: An Ode led to annual recognition of good foot care and appreciation. It was also the impetus for the Good Foot Care movement. Carolyn believes our feet tell a story about our lives. She is passionate about promoting good foot care and she is quickly becoming the " Ambassador of Feet". She is a Foot & Shoe Consultant and refers countless people to podiatrists. Carolyn is also the author of the award winning laugh out loud children's series, The Family Adventures of Princess Ladybug and Princess Ladybird. The series focuses on young siblings who are raised in separate households. Carolyn wrote two ebooks to help consumers purchase footwear. How To Avoid Killer Boots and buy boots that feel as good as they look! and Irresistible; Rockin' Hot Party Shoes your feet will love!, are how-to books consumers can take with them as they shop for footwear. Full of pictures, footwear tips and good foot tips, these books help ensure consumers will never have footwear problems again. Carolyn lives in Virginia with her family and her children's books are available on amazon.com . Her ebooks are available on this website. Amazon.com Widgets

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