RIP Sam...

[deleted1149159]

I haven't seen much notice about this other than a blurb in Podiatry Management magazine and a page on the ABFAS website.

Sam Mendicino was a dear friend, mentor and all around awesome guy. So much love for our profession and really gave it his all to educate the next generation. Even though I didn't train with him, he kept an eye on me, and took me under his wing when I was on the lecture circuit, writing for Podiatry Today and publishing in our Journals. He was one of the rare guys out there who cared about the younger ones and lifted them up, rather than the majority, who tried to tear us down.

I've been out of the loop for many years, so when I heard about his passing a few months back, I was in shock and got choked up. Now that I'm back in the loop, I wanted to honor him here and see if anyone had any funny anecdotes about him to share. For me, there are too many good times with him to just pick one.

His absence will leave a large hole in our profession. RIP Sam. You are very sorely missed, sir.

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[air bud]

I have some stories that are best not shared online...he was a great mentor. He gave everything he had to his residents and the profession. I talked to him about a problem I was having about 3 days before he passed. He said if I wanted him to he would fly up here and talk to the board in person. The crazy SOB would have done it if I asked.

 

[heybrother]

I visited West Houston and watched him give a lecture forever ago. It was a great lecture and it was given with a great deal of humor. Later that year I found myself at the Texas social event at interviews. I'm standing there watching some speaker talk up there program. I look next to me and he's standing there wearing like a smoking jacket or something. Just starts talking to me. Cracks a joke about one of the other Texas programs - they had up a picture of like a pilon fracture on the screen and he defintely didn't think that was going to be the focus of their program. Was very cool. I was sad to hear he passed away. PM news obviously carries a lot of obituaries. Had never seen one for a person I'd met before. We're a small profession.

 

[Feli]

Yeah, he was a frequent SDN reader also... I don't think he posted, but he was interested in the goings-on of the profession.

Very good guy for the profession overall. Nobody's perfect. A whole lot of good residents trained. I've always enjoyed GTEF meetings and will continue to.

 

[CutsWithFury]

Yeah, he was a frequent SDN reader also... I don't think he posted, but he was interested in the goings-on of the profession.

Very good guy for the profession overall. Nobody's perfect. A whole lot of good residents trained. I've always enjoyed GTEF meetings and will continue to.

He was podfather