Welcome Dr. Sabic!
Our practice is growing!
The entire Advanced Foot & Ankle Specialists team are excited to welcome Dr. Aldijan Sabic to our practice! He recently joined us full time and is currently accepting new patients.
As a team, we’ve enjoyed getting to know him and watch him interact with his patients, and we’ve already benefitted from his considerable talents as a physician. Now, we’d like to give you the opportunity to get to know him a little better, too!
Early Life
Dr. Sabic was born in Yugoslavia, in the region that is now the modern-day country of Bosnia and Herzegovina. As a child, he lived through the Yugoslav Wars of the 1990s, which forced his family from their homes and into three different refugee camps over a period of three years.
Despite the difficult circumstances, Dr. Sabic always had a passion for learning, fixing things, and helping others. By age 6, he was constructing his own electronic devices from old parts and fixing radios, TVs, and other tech for neighbors and friends. When the power went out during the war, he would wire up his own lights for the family.
At age 8, he began taking English lessons in school, and by age 10 his parents encouraged him to put those skills to use and serve as an interpreted for Doctors Without Borders. It was this experience that convinced him to pursue a career in medicine. He enjoyed volunteering so much that he did it 7 days per week for a full year.
Moving to America and Education
After years of war and refugee camps, Dr. Sabic moved to the United States in 1996, first settling in Chicago. In 1999, he moved again to Phoenix, where he attended North Canyon High School, then graduated from Arizona State University with a B.S. in nutrition.
He began pursuing a Master’s degree in biology at ASU, but after a year and a half decided to make a career change to podiatry instead. He left his master’s program, enrolled at the Ohio College of Podiatry Medicine (now part of Kent State University), and earned his doctor of podiatric medicine degree.
Dr. Sabic moved back to Arizona—a place he truly considers home—for his 3-year residency in foot and ankle reconstruction at the Carl T. Hayden VA Medical Center in Phoenix. Chief resident in his final year, he graduated with triple the minimum number of surgical requirements and quintuple the clinical requirements mandated by the program.
His training specialties included flatfoot reconstruction, bunions, plantar fasciitis, sports medicine, trauma care, wound care, limb salvage, ankle arthroscopy, external fixation, and total ankle replacements.
Continuing education and research, and advancing the field of podiatry as a whole, is very important to Dr. Sabic. He is currently working on two separate research papers for publication, focusing on advanced treatments for plantar fasciitis and wound prevention.
Philosophy of Care
Dr. Sabic’s passion for helping others, which began with his days fixing electronics for neighbors and translating for aid workers, remains strong. His greatest satisfaction comes from helping his patients continue to do what they love to do, whatever that may be. And his goal is always to address the root cause of any foot problem—rather than just the symptoms—to prevent recurrence.
To Dr. Sabic, every person who enters his exam room should be treated like part of the family. He believes in educating his patients and working alongside them as a teammate and advocate, helping them to understand their condition and take ownership of their treatment—whether the problem is small or very complicated.
Family and Interests
Dr. Sabic is happily married with a growing family—one dog, one son, and a daughter on the way. (Congratulations!)
In his free time, he enjoys staying active playing basketball, enjoying the outdoors, and exploring and adventuring with his family. He also loves to fix up and work on cars and motorcycles—his early passion for technology and machines clearly has stuck with him.
Once again, we’re so delighted that Dr. Sabic is joining our practice! His passion, personality, and skills will greatly benefit our team and help us provide even better foot and ankle care for our patients. Make sure you stop in and say hi at your next appointment!