Rate My Professor Andrew Van Essen

Andrew Van Essen is a specialist podiatrist and podiatric surgeon associated with Adelaide University, serving as an instructor in the School of Allied Health and Human Performance. He teaches in the Clinical Podiatry Practice 400A course, which develops students' skills in diagnosing and treating less common podiatry problems, high-risk patient management including diabetes and peripheral vascular disease, ethical considerations, patient education, operating room procedures, paediatric assessments, and community education. His practical expertise supports hands-on clinical training at the Adelaide City Campus.

Beginning his career in 1981 at Flinders Medical Centre in diabetic and high-risk foot clinics, Van Essen earned fellowship from the Australasian College of Podiatric Surgeons and endorsement for scheduled medicines in 1995. He worked as a visiting Podiatric Surgeon at Repatriation General Hospital from 2002 to 2010 and holds operating privileges at Calvary Central Districts Private Hospital, Glenelg Day Surgery, Adelaide Ambulatory Day Surgery, and Darwin Private Hospital. His clinical focus includes reconstructive forefoot surgery for bunions, hammertoes, neuromas, and ingrowing toenails, alongside consultations for complex foot and ankle issues. A Fellow of the Faculty of Podiatric Medicine at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons (Glasgow) since 2016, Fellow of Sports and Exercise Podiatry Australia, and recipient of a Fellowship from the Australian Sports Medicine Federation, Van Essen also lectures at the University of South Australia and to athletic trainers in Japan. He has delivered workshops, such as on Tibialis Posterior Tendon Dysfunction for the Australasian Podiatry Association, and serves as a practitioner member in Australian health practitioner regulatory contexts. Since 1996, he has volunteered internationally, helping establish an early intervention and treatment program for clubfoot in Vietnam.