Rearfoot / Ankle · Trauma · Advanced
Rollover Crash
Podiatric surgery residency interview case. Work through it the way you would at an interview: take the history, ask for the exam and imaging, then commit to a diagnosis and plan.
Chief complaint
"My heel hurts and I can't walk."
19-year-old female consulted on the trauma service after a rollover motor vehicle accident.
History of present illness
Passenger in a rollover MVA 2 days ago. Sustained a right femur fracture (treated by orthopedics with an IM nail), a head laceration and a right calcaneal fracture; podiatry is consulted for the heel.
- Heel pain 7/10, swelling
- No numbness of the foot
- On IV opioids since admission
Questions a strong candidate asks at this step
- Full injury list and what has been treated
- Timing since injury (soft-tissue window)
- Head injury/LOC
- Back pain (L-spine)
- Compartment symptoms
- Pain medication use
Present the rest of the case
Past history, exam, imaging, assessment, plan and discussion questions, with model answers, are in the interactive trainer. The diagnosis is kept there on purpose so you can practice committing to one.