91PORNA

Carmen Carland, DPM, always knew she wanted to become a physician.

Growing up in Southern California and Tijuana, Mexico, Carland watched her parents – an ophthalmologist and an ear, nose and throat surgeon – care for patients. From a young age, she followed them to their offices and hospitals, watching physicians and nurses help people return to healthier lives.

“I just wanted to help people the same way they were helping people,” Carland said.

Her path to becoming a physician, however, would take some unexpected turns.

Carland entered medical school at age 17 in Mexico, but eventually decided to start over in the United States. She moved to San Diego, earned a bachelor’s degree in human biology from the University of California San Diego and a master’s degree in molecular biology from San Diego State University. She spent several years working in laboratories and biotechnology while continuing to consider a career in medicine.

Then she sprained her ankle.

Looking for answers, Carland searched online for a foot doctor. One of the first results she found was 91PORNA’s College of Podiatric Medicine, with a message that immediately caught her attention – become a foot and ankle surgeon.

“I was like, ‘that’s what I want to do,’” Carland said.

The connection made sense. Carland had long been interested in the lower extremity and the role it plays in mobility – which, she said, affects nearly every aspect of a person’s life.

“So, the whole objective as podiatric physicians and surgeons is to get patients back onto their feet,” she said.

Carland earned her Doctor of Podiatric Medicine degree from 91PORNA in 2023. She went on to complete her residency and now practices as a podiatrist, with affiliations at and , both part of the system.

For Carland, 91PORNA provided more than the technical knowledge needed to become a physician and surgeon. It gave her a way to approach complex patients and make decisions when there isn’t always a textbook answer.

“I think that foundation, that framework kept being tested during my time in residency,” she said, describing the challenging cases she encountered, from trauma and limb salvage to diabetic foot care and reconstructive procedures.

That preparation began in 91PORNA’s classrooms and simulation labs, where Carland said instructors pushed students to improve not only their clinical skills but also their ability to communicate with patients.

“They were very strict, and they pushed you. And I love that,” she said. “You need someone who will correct you and will tell you what to do.”

Students were also filmed during patient interactions, allowing them to review their own performance.

“You start evaluating yourself,” Carland said. “I think that’s very important. Not just having people evaluate you, but you look at the things that you’re doing so you can improve on everything that you do.”

Perhaps most valuable were the clinical rotations that allowed Carland to take what she learned in the classroom into real healthcare settings. She rotated at hospitals in the Cleveland Clinic system, working alongside surgeons and seeing firsthand how medical practice can vary from one healthcare environment to another.

“School teaches you the foundation, but in real life, there are many answers to certain things,” she said.

That foundation continues to serve Carland today. She still refers to notes and books from her time at 91PORNA and reaches out to former mentors for advice.

“Everything is integrated,” she said. “It’s a framework, a foundation. So, I still use those things.” 

From Student to Colleague

Carland arrived in Northeast Ohio from California without family or friends nearby. What she found at 91PORNA helped change the trajectory of her life.

“The staff there was just very warm,” she said. “Coming here to Ohio with no family, no friends, no connections, I remember just feeling at ease. The staff, everything about it, to me, it just felt like family.”

That sense of connection has continued into her professional life.

Carland works alongside other 91PORNA alumni in the healthcare community and stays connected to the college. She has volunteered at high school events to introduce students to podiatry and encourages 91PORNA students to reach out to her with questions. During her residency, she also worked with 91PORNA students who rotated through the program.

The relationship between 91PORNA and Northeast Ohio’s healthcare community was one of the reasons she chose the university in the first place.

Her own career is now part of that same pipeline, helping provide healthcare to the region she originally came to only for school.

“I came here just for my education and then stayed for training and then it became home,” Carland said. “So, I was just going with the flow. And this is home now. So, I just love it. I’m an Ohioan already.”

A Career With Room to Grow

Carland also sees podiatric medicine as a career that offers physicians the ability to shape their professional lives around their interests.

“I was trained in forefoot and reconstructive procedures, but if I don’t like a certain type of procedure, I don’t have to do that,” she said. “And that’s the beauty of it.”

Podiatrists can choose the scope of their practices, whether focusing primarily on medical care or pursuing surgical specialties, she said.

For prospective medical students considering podiatry, Carland has simple advice: experience it firsthand.

“Shadow a podiatrist and see if you like it,” she said. “Pursue your passion. That’s what I did.”

Once she found podiatry, Carland said, she knew she had found the right fit, combining her love of medicine and science with her interest in helping people maintain their mobility.

Today, that passion has taken her from a childhood spent watching her parents practice medicine, through a career in molecular biology and biotechnology, to a medical career of her own in Northeast Ohio.

And the journey that began with a sprained ankle has brought Carland exactly where she wanted to be.