Christy M. King, DPM
“My love for teaching comes from the ability to see these residents succeed. Working with all of these young professionals keeps me wanting to understand the current research and different thoughts on foot and ankle topics.”
Christy M. King, DPM, director of the KP San Francisco Bay Area Foot and Ankle Residency Program, says her success as an educator and leader stems from years of playing sports, especially as catcher for her college softball team.
“The best managers were often catchers, because you can see the entire field and your role is to bring different people and personalities together to achieve one goal,” Dr. King says. “I’ve adapted that sports personality into my teaching and working style.”
“She really hits a home run,” says KP East Bay Physician-in-Chief John W. Morehouse, MD, FACEP. “That’s all four bases — clinical excellence, research, amazing teaching ability, and program creation.”
Dr. King receives the highest accolades for her innovative and engaging approach to educating, which includes an annual “Surgical Olympics.” “She is a role model, teacher, friend, and mentor,” says Yaseer Parupia, DPM, podiatric surgeon at KP Sacramento. “She is a pioneer in our field.”
Dr. King graduated from the California School of Podiatric Medicine at Samuel Merritt University and completed a 3-year residency in the program she now leads.
Since joining TPMG in 2012, she has established herself as a clinical expert and master teacher in foot and ankle surgery with a focus on sports medicine, ankle tendon reconstruction, and trauma.
“She’s transformed our podiatric training program into one of the most sought after in the country and elevated its status nationally,” says Ted O’Connell, MD, FAAFP, director of Undergraduate, Graduate, and Continuing Medical Education for KP Northern California.
Deeply committed to research, Dr. King has co-authored 16 publications in peer-reviewed journals and presented at over 20 regional and national conferences, while her podiatric residents have published over 70 articles. With her as chair, the KP Northern California Foot and Ankle Residency Research Summit has grown into a world-class scholarly symposium.
“She has unbridled enthusiasm and optimism that inspires all of those around her to want to be better,” says KP East Bay Physician-in-Chief Rita Ng, MD, FACC. “Dr. Christy King is simply a powerhouse in everything that she does. In her quiet, humble, brilliant way, she changes the world.”