APMA News - March/April 2019 - 86

10 Questions
Featuring Alissa Zdancewicz, DPM, of Sarasota, FL
In this feature, APMA News asks one member 10 questions
and gets all the answers about his or her passions, ambitions,
and priorities. Would you like to answer our questions? Contact
Aimee Condayan at arcondayan@apma.org.

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you
grew up?
I always wanted to go into medicine. When I was three
years old, my mother was in nursing school, and I
loved looking though her books. The pictures of the
pathologies fascinated me. Pretending to study, I would
highlight and circle random words. I would scribble in
the books as if I were making notes. I made studying
very difficult and, I'm sure, annoying, but she always
said, "Alissa is going to be a doctor!"

What do you do for fun during your time off?
I enjoy traveling and time with my family. We have an
RV and try to take a big trip at least once a year. In
2016, we did a roller coaster tour, going to Kings Island, Cedar Point, and Dollywood. One of my dream
trips would be taking an RV through all 50 states. It
might be a bit pricey to ship our RV to Hawaii, so I
think we would fly there and just rent one.

What is your favorite movie?
It really depends on what mood I'm in, but one of my
all-time favorite movies is "Trading Places." My friend
and I can recite almost the entire dialogue.

If you could meet any famous person, who would it be,
and why?
I would love to meet Jerry Seinfeld. "Seinfeld" is one
of my favorite shows. I actually met him once very
briefly, just long enough to get a greeting and a picture.
I would love to sit and have a cup of coffee with him.

Finish this statement: Tomorrow, I absolutely refuse to ...
take the day for granted. It's easy to let a negative experience carry over into the next day. Gratitude is so
important. My grandma once wrote in a note to her
grandchildren, "Treasure your memories. Live your todays. Dream your tomorrows." I often try to remind
myself of that.

86 APMA News March/April 2019

10.

What would your last meal be?
For an appetizer, I would have a Caprese salad. My
main dish would be Chicago deep-dish stuffed pizza.
For dessert, I would have baked brie covered with apricot jam, and sides of apple, pear, and a warm French
baguette. Godiva dark chocolate would top off the
meal. The wines accompanying each course are a whole
separate list!
What is your favorite vacation spot, and why?
I love France! The history, the charm, the food, the language, and the landscape all amaze me. It has every environment from the beaches of Nice to the mountains
of the Alps. On my next trip there, I would like to go to
the Gorges of Verdon, which is often called the French
Grand Canyon.
What is the biggest change you've seen in podiatric medicine
since you started practicing?
Definitely wound care. During my residency, we would
mesh an Apligraf in the OR. Now we use grafts from
placentas and umbilical cords daily in wound care centers. We are saving limbs and lives with a small piece of
tissue. It's amazing!
What is something about you that would surprise your
friends?
Absolutely nothing! I have known my two best friends
for more than 30 years. They know me better than
I know myself. They probably could have answered
most of these questions for me.
What mistake have you made that taught you a great
lesson?
When I began private practice in 2004, my husband
was deployed in the Middle East with the Air Force.
When he came back to the US, he landed in Wisconsin,
and I was at a meeting in California. I was so concerned
about advancing in my new profession that I put work
before my husband. He has always been so supportive
and said it was okay. Years later, he admitted he was
very disappointed I wasn't there to greet him. I will
never be able to go back and change the decision I
made. People often say family comes first, but we often
put work first. I love my job, but I love my husband
and my daughter more. Now, I will not hesitate to [reschedule] some patients to attend an important event
for my family.

APMA News - March/April 2019

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