Dean's Chat hosts, Drs. Jensen and Richey, welcome Dr. Matthew Werd to the podcast!

Dr. Werd is “One of the Top 25 Most Influential Podiatrists in the United States”, among more than 16,500 podiatric physicians nationwide, as selected by Podiatry Management in 2012. He joined the medical staff at Foot and Ankle Associates in 1995, after completing a distinguished AO International Fellowship in Trauma and Reconstructive Surgery in Davos, Switzerland. Dr. Werd is a specialist in Sports Injuries of the Lower Extremity, and Reconstructive Surgery of the Foot, Ankle, and Leg. Dr. Werd completed his Foot and Ankle Surgical Residency, with advanced training in Sports Medicine, in Miami, Florida.

This episode is sponsored by the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA)!

He is currently the Chief of Podiatric Surgery at Lakeland Regional Medical Center, a position he has held since 1999. He is double Board Certified in both Foot Surgery and Reconstructive Rearfoot and Ankle Surgery by the American Board of Podiatric Surgery.

Dr. Werd is Past-President of the American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine, and remains active lecturing locally, nationally, and internationally on sports medicine topics throughout the year. He has also obtained the prestigious status of “Fellow” of the American College of Sports Medicine. He also serves on the Clinic Advisory Board of the American Running and Fitness Association.

Dr. Werd finished his surgical residency training under the expertise of his residency director, Dr. Keith B. Kashuk, who is an internationally known lecturer, author, and physician. Under the direction of Dr. Kashuk, Dr. Werd actively participated in the care of athletes and coaches from the Miami Dolphins, the Florida Marlins, the University of Miami sports teams, and many others.

Dr. Werd graduated medical school in Chicago with Magna Cum Laude Honors from SCPM, finishing in the top 10 % of his graduating class. He also completed an undergraduate Research Fellowship, studying human performance in an orthopedic gait analysis laboratory.

Dr. Werd completed his undergraduate studies with a Double Major, a Bachelor of Arts Honors degree in Biology, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Chemistry from Indiana University in Bloomington. Also, he completed an accelerated full year of pre-med biology courses and laboratory studies at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

He graduated from a prestigious class 6A high school, Glenbrook North, in Northbrook, Illinois where he was Captain of his Varsity Football and Wrestling teams.

Dr. Werd has authored 6 sports medicine books, including most recently, Athletic Footwear and Orthoses in Sports Medicine and, FOOT! Care, Prevention, and Treatment, which are available on Amazon.com. Also, he has written and published more than 100 medical-related articles.

Sports Medicine treatment and prevention of injuries of the lower extremity are a passion of Dr. Werd. This remains his primary focus, along with Reconstructive Surgery of the Foot, Ankle, and Leg.

Dr. Werd serves on the Sports Medicine Staff at Florida Southern College, and is a guest lecturer for a lower extremity biomechanics course in Athletic Training Program. He has also taught a 3-hour advanced athletic training course to athletic training students at The University of Tampa.

Dr. Werd served as one of two team podiatrists for the Tampa Bay Mutiny Major League Soccer Team, and he has consulted in the care of the Detroit Tigers and New York Yankees Spring Training Baseball Teams.

He has extensive experience in the evaluation and treatment of the endurance athlete, including marathoners, cyclists, and triathletes.

Dr. Werd is a finisher of the Hawaii Ironman World Championship Triathlon (on the Big Island of Hawaii), often called the “...the most difficult 1-day endurance event in the world”. He also completed the Inaugural Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Clearwater, Florida, and qualified to compete in the USA Triathlon National Championship race in Burlington, Vermont.

He has finished more than 40 cycling “Centuries”, 100+ triathlons, and multiple marathons- including the Boston, Disney, and Chicago Marathons.

Enjoy our interview!