Life After DMU: Life After DMU: Life of a Podiatrist

10 DMU Degrees. 10 Alumni Stories. 10 Ways to Make a Difference.

by Des Moines University Medicine and Health Sciences

WEST DES MOINES, IA (09/03/2026) Whether they studied osteopathic medicine, public health or biomedical sciences at 722 Sixth Avenue, 3200 Grand Avenue or the new campus at 8025 Grand Avenue, graduates of Des Moines University Medicine and Health Sciences share one thing in common: the degrees they earned prepared them to care, to lead and to serve.

It's a physical therapist helping patients regain balance and confidence after the disorienting effects of dizziness.

It's a plastic surgeon restoring form, function and a sense of self.

It's an occupational therapy graduate just beginning her career, working toward becoming a Certified Hand Therapist.

Each path is distinct, and each calling is deeply personal. At DMU, those callings are first shaped in the classroom and continue in clinics, hospitals and communities near and far.

Through our Life After DMU series, we celebrate 10 alumni who exemplify the many ways a DMU degree can make a difference.

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The Life of a ... Podiatrist: Helping Patients Get Back on Their Feet - Literally

It's a profession filled with memorable names: gout, bunions, plantar fasciitis ... all of which can derail everything from workdays to workouts. And with dozens of bones, muscles and nerves packed into the lower extremities, no two cases are ever quite the same. That variety is exactly what defines a typical day for Tiphani James, DPM'16 - if "typical" even applies.

James treats patients with neuropathic conditions and open wounds, workers whose physically demanding jobs have taken a toll and teenagers and collegiate athletes navigating sports related injuries, to name a few.

As she builds her private practice at Upperline Health in Macon, Georgia, James is also seeing more pediatric patients, including cases of congenital flatfoot, for which she often recommends conservative care like custom orthotics or bracing. She's also beginning to treat more veterans through the Veterans Affairs Community Care program.

No matter who she's treating, James finds value in helping patients restore function and find comfort.

"Whether it's a surgical case reaching full recovery or an injury healing over time, it's rewarding to see progress," James says. "Even with something as simple as a partial nail avulsion, you've improved someone's condition."

One case that still stands out comes from her time in an academic hospital, where she treated a chronically ill patient with osteomyelitis (infection of the bone) who developed encephalopathy (a disturbance of brain function) and required multiple levels of life support during a 59-day hospital stay.

"Despite how critical his condition was, he improved," James says. "It was a miracle to witness - to see all that medicine and science had to offer him and to watch him heal."

James says the foundation she built in DMU's Doctor of Podiatric Medicine program prepared her well, particularly as she sought additional hands-on experiences like volunteering at the Free Clinic of Iowa and taking electives during her third year. Her clinical experiences helped her build on that knowledge, ready to navigate everything from infectious diseases to diabetic foot ulcers.

Looking ahead, James plans to step up her community engagement through efforts such as presenting about different neuropathic foot conditions. In fact, it was a female podiatrist who spoke to her pre-med club as an undergraduate at Georgia State University who first encouraged her to pursue the profession.

"I really enjoyed the type of medicine I saw as I shadowed her, and she convinced me it was a good profession for women," James says. "She had built her career while being married and raising twins, and that inspired me."

As she looks to expand her own outreach, James hopes to do the same for future podiatrists - one step at a time.

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Tiphani James is a 2016 graduate of Des Moines University Medicine and Health Sciences' Doctor of Podiatric Medicine program and now works in private practice at Upperline Health in Macon, Georgia. James is also a 2011 graduate of Georgia State University in Atlanta.

This story was originally published in the August 2026 issue of DMU Magazine.

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