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ALPS Seeks Student Chapter Members

The American Limb Preservation Society (ALPS) serves as an interdisciplinary bridge between varied groups and organizations with respective roles to play in lower limb preservation. As part of its collective goal to eliminate preventable amputations, it is actively working to identify, develop, and mentor the next generation of clinicians, scientists and clinician scientists in this field. Accordingly, the organization is actively promoting the formation of ALPS Student Chapters.

The first such chapter was formed at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science (RFUMS), an institution renowned for its emphasis on the practice of interprofessional health care. The ALPS Student Chapter at RFUMS is focused on enhancing limb salvage for the diabetic population and emphasizes that each healthcare discipline plays an important role in limb preservation. Podiatric medical student Khanh Phuong Tong initiated the formation of the chapter in 2020, and present officers include Angela Garcia, Christine Jones, Emma Sorrentino, and Aashi Modi.

One of the key initial accomplishments of the RFUMS ALPS Student Chapter was the hosting of a webinar with the parent organization’s President, David Armstrong, DPM, PhD, MD. Students from across the United States actively participated in the event. Another early success of the RFUMS chapter was its poster presentation Limb Preservation Success Stories from a Student-Led Free Clinic at DFCon 2021 (page 13). Chapter leaders are currently working on further research initiatives and are striving to help establish ALPS student organizations nationwide to unite future professionals in-training and create an interprofessional networking platform for enhancing limb preservation.

The testimonies of student leaders are evidence of the tremendous impact of ALPS on future professionals:

“Being the chapter president of ALPS has opened my eyes to the subtleties of properly examining patients in the diabetic community. Through ALPS, it is understood that we as podiatrists are not alone in the care of this particular demographic, as it provides a platform for interprofessional care of limb preservation.”

— Angela Garcia, President, RFUMS ALPS Student Chapter

“Involvement in the ALPS student leadership team has deepened my aspirations of providing preventative podiatric medicine and limb-preserving care in collaboration with my future colleagues across healthcare disciplines. I look forward to seeing the ALPS legacy continue at RFUMS and schools across the nation.”

— Emma Sorrentino, Secretary, RFUMS ALPS Student Chapter

More details about student chapters, including how to form a new chapter, are available at https://limbpreservationsociety.org/student-chapters/.

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