Lauren Molchan, DPM
Dr. Lauren Molchan, DPM, is a board certified and compassionate foot and ankle surgeon practicing at Foot Specialist Associates in Denver, Colorado.
Dr. Molchan began her undergraduate education at the University of Tennessee, where she pole vaulted on their women’s track team. She later graduated from Moravian College with her BS in biology, where she continued her collegiate athletic career. She then worked in clinical research at UCLA, where she developed her interest in surgery. Her combined passion for sports and medicine led her to pursue her Doctorate in Podiatric Medicine & Surgery from the Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, California.
Dr. Molchan completed her foot and ankle surgery residency in Denver, Colorado, at Highlands-Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Medical Center and served as chief resident in her final year. Her training involved exposure to all aspects of foot and ankle surgery. She is the youngest member of the board of directors for the Colorado Podiatric Medical Association and on the board of Highland’s/PSL residency training program. She is actively involved in lecturing, training surgical residents and students in the Denver area. Dr. Molchan has a passion for global medicine and has co-founded a reconstructive surgery medical program provides free care to underserved communities across the globe. The program was established to provide surgical care to children with disabilities or neglected trauma, as well as physician training and education to local providers. (to learn more: www.essentialstrides.org)
She enjoys treating a wide variety of foot and ankle pathologies, including sports injuries, trauma, pediatrics, forefoot and rearfoot deformities, arthroscopy, arthritic conditions, and total joint replacement. Her mission is to provide superior comprehensive foot and ankle care while adhering to principles of focused and patient-centered care. She believes the best outcomes are achieved when both the patient and physician work as a team. She is excited to serve the greater Denver community that she trained in. In her spare time, she enjoys yoga, hiking, skiing, rock climbing, and painting.
Jack McGarry, DPM
Dr. John McGarry received his Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (DPM) from Pennsylvania College of Podiatric Medicine in 1985 and established Foot Specialist Associates, PC in 1987. He is a past director of the Residency Training Program at Presbyterian/ St. Luke’s Hospital, serving in this capacity from 1993 until 2004. He has been active in education at both the state and national levels throughout his career. Dr. McGarry is also a past president of the American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery.
Dr. McGarry is married and has two adult children. He has a great love for the outdoors and for endurance sports. He has climbed all of the 14,000 foot peaks in Colorado at least once, is a fourth degree black belt in aikido and has also ridden his bicycle across the United States from the West Coast to the East Coast. Dr. McGarry is a devoted trail runner and has run many races including marathons and 100 mile races. He is most passionate about the Leadville 100 and has run that trail race on four different occasions. As a result of his own personal devotion to running, he feels a great commitment to treating athletes of all sports and abilities in addition to treating patients for other types of foot issues.
Currently, Dr. McGarry’s interests include playing the guitar. He is a member of a local band and has played with his group at local venues. Dr. McGarry’s professional affiliations include the Colorado Podiatric Medical Association, the American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery and the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons.
Jake Shulmister, DPM
Dr. Jake Shulmister is a foot and ankle surgeon with advanced training in the full spectrum of foot and ankle care. Originally from Virginia Beach, Virginia, he earned his undergraduate degree at James Madison University before completing his Doctor of Podiatric Medicine at Temple University in Philadelphia. He then moved to Denver to complete his surgical residency at Highlands/Presbyterian St. Luke’s, where he served as chief resident in his final year.
Dr. Shulmister’s residency provided extensive exposure to both elective and complex reconstructive procedures. His surgical training included bunion surgery, trauma management, forefoot and rearfoot reconstruction, total ankle replacement, and diabetic limb preservation. He is passionate about combining advanced surgical techniques with comprehensive conservative care, always with the goal of helping patients return to an active, pain-free lifestyle.
Outside of medicine, Dr. Shulmister carries forward his love for the outdoors that began with water sports and surfing while growing up in Virginia. Now based in Colorado, he enjoys fly fishing, camping, snowboarding, and playing guitar. He brings the same energy and enthusiasm he has for these pursuits into his practice, where he is dedicated to delivering personalized and compassionate foot and ankle care.