Meet Dr. Ksenija Topic ‘95

 *Dr. Ksenija Topic received her Doctor of Podiatric Medicine degree from Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine at Rosalind Franklin University and completed a three-year surgical residency in Chicago, Illinois. She joined the Navajo Area Indian Health Service (IHS) in 2007, started two podiatric programs within the Navajo Area, and has been recognized with the IHS Director’s Award. Her interests include maximizing the role of podiatric physicians and surgeons to avoid preventable limb amputations, increasing the representation of American Indians and Alaska Natives in the podiatric workforce, and developing podiatrists in leadership roles throughout the Indian Health Service.
*Bio from the IHS website

GOVS:
Working in the heart of the Navajo Nation for The Indian Health Service (IHS) in Arizona is a long way from where you spent your youth in Massachusetts, and Chicago, where you completed a three-year surgical residency after medical school. What drew you to this specialty of medicine and this community? 

TOPIC
I always knew medicine was my calling, but when my mom had an appointment with our local podiatrist, Dr. Diresta, my plans solidified. She was impressed by Dr. Diresta and handed me materials from his alma mater. I contacted Dr. Diresta, and as they say, the rest is history. I was unfamiliar with the Navajo Nation until my residency director suggested I go on a month-long rotation in New Mexico. I figured this would be an adventure, a chance to see a new part of the country—one I was unlikely to visit again. To my great surprise, I absolutely fell in love with the work, people, and area—I just knew that is where I wanted to start my career, even if it meant delaying the expected career path of joining a private practice.

GOVS:
Working with communities in such remote locations must have presented its challenges; can you describe a typical day on the job?

TOPIC:
In this type of rural setting, describing a typical week on the job is more appropriate. Due to the remote nature of the work, there is usually hospital housing, so the week is consumed by work and socializing with colleagues as we all lived and worked in the same place. The weekends were generally reserved for two-hour drives, on average, to a city for shopping and errands or other road trips for hiking in surrounding national parks. One of the places I lived was close to Monument Valley, so that was an easy way to grab dinner out on a weeknight.

 

GOVS:
During the worst days of the  COVID-19 pandemic, the Navajo tribe was disproportionately impacted, facing some of the highest infection and mortality rates in the United States. How did the pandemic affect your work?

TOPIC:
It was quite interesting. The situation developed rapidly, and I transitioned to the Incident Command System along with my newly appointed chief of staff duties. Once I could return to my regular work, I was relieved, and the experience reaffirmed that I had picked the right specialty for me; if I had doubts, they were erased by this experience.

GOVS:
The mission and vision of the IHS is “to raise the physical, mental, social, and spiritual health of American Indians and Alaska Natives to the highest level” and to help create “healthy communities and quality health care systems through strong partnerships and culturally responsive practices.” How did your work align with these goals?

TOPIC:
My work has always aligned with those goals values, which is probably one of the main reasons why my one-month adventure in residency turned into over 15 years of continued work that I do not plan on stopping anytime soon. I thought this work was something I would do for a few years before getting back on the traditional track of what a podiatrist does; however, the opportunity to work in this setting made abandoning the traditional route worthwhile.

GOVS:
Outside of your work, do you have any special interests or passions? 

TOPIC:
Travel has always been one of my favorite pastimes. Whether getting on the road or flying internationally, it’s been a great way to decompress and return to work refreshed. I have always loved movies, so I channel this into volunteering for the Telluride Film Festival. Volunteering for races is always great fun—some of my favorites are 50K and 50 Mile in Monument Valley. 

 

GOVS:
Looking back to your years as a student at Govs, you seemed to take full advantage of your experience and excelled academically. You won the Ambrose Speaking Award, a Special Prize, and the Francis Scholarship. How did your time at the Academy influence your path in life?

TOPIC:
Govs motto, Non Sibi Sed Aliis, always comes to mind when I think of my time at GDA. At that time, my family and I were helped by many folks and a scholarship that set me on my path to fulfilling my calling. I recall a conversation with someone indirectly involved with my scholarship decision; I was overwhelmed with my inability to fathom a scenario where I could even begin to repay what was given to me. He casually answered, “Nobody needs you to pay us back anything; just make sure you pay it forward someday.” This has stayed with me, and I try to live up to that request.

GOVS:
Govs students are encouraged to discover their passions, take risks, and find the courage to be authentic. As an alumna doing extraordinary work in medicine and social service, do you ever experience days when you feel out of your comfort zone? Do you have any advice to pass on to current Govs students? 

TOPIC:
During a drive to work, I listened to an interview between a famous actress and a famous interview personality. He asked if she still gets nervous when filming, and she said absolutely and probably does a good job of hiding it. The interviewer was stunned since the actress has done countless films over decades. It made me realize that as long as I am moving forward, I feel out of my comfort zone. I recently started my first job, which now officially involves management duties, and all of my professional decisions have led to this without me even realizing it. The leadership roles I was taking on were probably a strong clue I appeared to have missed.

I am most definitely out of my comfort zone, and it reminds me of a conversation I had on a plane years ago. I was getting ready to move to Arizona and start my first real job out of residency, and I was terrified. I was seated next to a friendly pilot and a social worker, and we discussed my trepidation. When I asked if either had experienced a similar feeling, and the pilot said his first pilot-in-command flight was to Japan, with nearly 200 people he was responsible for, and yes, he was terrified as well. He also made a good point: “At least you’re only responsible for one person at a time.” The social worker added that she was terrified of being found out as a fraud every day. I think the “out of the comfort zone” changes over the years for us all, so we have to make it work. But there are many safety nets from often surprising sources: folks not in your line of work and from different generations and circumstances. Take it all in; you never know when it might be useful and helpful to lift you up, feel inspired, make a decision, or just make you laugh…or even answer interview questions with your own alma mater.