One Board Proposition at APMA HOD

[diabeticfootdr]

Are you an American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) member?

We need you! Sign on to co-sponsor APMA Policy Proposition 2-24 calling for One Board in Podiatric Medicine and Surgery. Let the HOD know it’s time to end the division in the profession. The proposition received a “Do Pass” recommendation from the APMA Policy Review Committee.

Go to www.podiatryforward.com and be a co-sponsor. We’ll take your name to the HOD in Washington DC this weekend.

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Members don't see this ad.

 

[bloxxeeey]

I would love if we had one board. Most jobs don't know what the difference is between ABFAS and ABPM. Most of my IM/Ortho/EM/FM/Urology colleagues are more focused on getting the best possible job/fellowship. Meanwhile us podiatrist are stepping over each other for 120k a year jobs to get the opportunity to be ABFAS certified because we need the cases. Other specialties actually look for what would be best for them financially and personally. We have this "certification" hanging over us.

Also most residents probably notice this as well, when your attendings become board certified, they stop doing a higher volume of surgeries. Makes you wonder if we do procedures for the sake of board certification or because the patient actually needs/wants it.

 

[Adam Smasher]

Is there a zero-board proposition?

 

[HardRoadPaved]

 

[HardRoadPaved]

View attachment 383868

The only thing that came to mind when it said Proposition 24:

After Homer's Rousing Speech, everybody begins chanting "No on 24", even as they walk into the voting booths. Cut to a news report saying that 95% of people voted YES ON 24 (kick out immigrants)

 

[Podstar]

*Randy Jackson voice* it’s a no from me dawg.

 

[Adam Smasher]

If the APMA can't control the number of schools, how can they control the number of boards?

 

[wakaflocka88]

Why is a past president driving this narrative? Does the current president also want this?

 

[GreenHousePub]

Both are two private corporations. No one is going to force them to merge.

 

[med2345]

What would happen with states (NY) when ABFAS is already written in the bylaws for ankles?

 

[diabeticfootdr]

Why is a past president driving this narrative? Does the current president also want this?

You must not have read the Policy Proposition.

The proposition was sponsored by me, the current president, another past president, and the treasurer.

 

[diabeticfootdr]

What would happen with states (NY) when ABFAS is already written in the bylaws for ankles?

The New York discrimination will be resolved before there will be One Board.

But yes, the 30 of ~2200 licensed NY podiatrists who have the advanced ankle permit might be worried that there will be new competition.

 

[JustAPedicurist]

All I know is I took the retake abfas exam today and that was such a poorly written ****ing test.

 

[p100]

If we have one giant incompetent board then nobody wins and corruption gets even worse.

 

[Bored Snorlax]

I support this. It's time for bold ideas to move podiatry forward.

 

[JustAPedicurist]

The problem with these exams is how much is this stuff actually relevant? Old bunion procedures on forefoot and a good majority of rearfoot is TAR’s, IM nails, supramellolar osteotomies which no one even does

 

[Feli]

I support this. It's time for bold ideas to move podiatry forward.

There will always be an alternate board in podiatry. There always has been.

Our training is highly variable, student talent and acceptances are widely variable.
What is fairly basic and takes a bit of study for some is nearly impossible for others.
Many residencies never do any stuff that others come out almost universally proficient in.

It would be good if the alternate podiatry boards would merge...
Heck knows the ABPM needs the help and good people after the walkout of most of their elected BOD and execs last year. That was a dumpster fire.

The problem with these exams is how much is this stuff actually relevant? Old bunion procedures on forefoot and a good majority of rearfoot is TAR’s, IM nails, supramellolar osteotomies which no one even does

The same can be said for any medical specialty, but you see what you know.
Board exams are basically to confirm the common stuff and quiz a bit on the oddball also.

It's important to at least recognize the basics of things - and be aware of oddball things - that may come into your office. Even if you don't do ankle surgery, you will get some appointments for complications of it, post-op needs of procedures done elsewhere, some patients who are candidates for it, etc. It is up to each DPM what the do and what they refer, but core F&A knowledge should be fairly universal (like MD specialties' knowledge/standards). It is not that way at all in podiatry right now. I remember one wound wizard was on here bragging they were treating another doc's TAR dehiscence... without awareness of how dangerous that can quickly get and become revision, BKA or worse.

 

[BubbaWub]

The problem with these exams is how much is this stuff actually relevant? Old bunion procedures on forefoot and a good majority of rearfoot is TAR’s, IM nails, supramellolar osteotomies which no one even does

I agree, I have one of the busiest practices in the country and none of this stuff is relevant. IM Nails, supramalleolar osteotomies and other surgeries are very rarely performed. Hence why I believe ABFAS is bogus. My state law has unfortunately not allowed me to perform TARs, but I know I am very proficient in them from my residency training.

I believe in my president, as he has shown me the way in Podiatry. He has seen my practice and what I have developed. I am very thankful he is fighting for my right to perform ankle surgery.

Thank you

 

[JustAPedicurist]

There will always be an alternate board in podiatry. There always has been.

Our training is highly variable, student talent and acceptances are widely variable.
What is fairly basic and takes a bit of study for some is nearly impossible for others.
Many residencies never do any stuff that others come out almost universally proficient in.

It would be good if the alternate podiatry boards would merge...
Heck knows the ABPM needs the help and good people after the walkout of most of their elected BOD and execs last year. That was a dumpster fire.


The same can be said for any medical specialty, but you see what you know.
Board exams are basically to confirm the common stuff and quiz a bit on the oddball also.

It's important to at least recognize the basics of things - and be aware of oddball things - that may come into your office. Even if you don't do ankle surgery, you will get some appointments for complications of it, post-op needs of procedures done elsewhere, some patients who are candidates for it, etc. It is up to each DPM what the do and what they refer, but core F&A knowledge should be fairly universal (like MD specialties' knowledge/standards). It is not that way at all in podiatry right now. I remember one wound wizard was on here bragging they were treating another doc's TAR dehiscence... without awareness of how dangerous that can quickly get and become revision, BKA or worse.

Yes because 25% of an exam being bone tumors proves a podiatrists competency when in real life it’s always refer to surg onc

 

[gnrh11]

I would be so happy if we could rally together and make this happen. This is one of the biggest flaws with this profession. The fact that we actually have people working to make certifications clear and possible is amazing. This will only help podiatrist and completely reshape podiatry in a positive way. This is huge. Unfortunately abfas will not want this so it is up to us.

 

[bloxxeeey]

The examination are completely bogus. A good 25-50% of the questions are one of the following.
1. Image with a bad X-ray/MRI and asking you about the pathology with no detail about the pathology in the question stem.
2. Answers that overlap.
3. Tibial osteotomies - I'm really hoping that with the amount of questions they ask about this I'll have several each year in practice... Maybe the local podiatrist will refer to me. Just kidding, no podiatrist ever refers pathology to another, we're so saturated that we rather treat something sub optimally for a few dollars than refer to another podiatrist.
4. Bone tumors - Please diagnose this Eccentric metaphyseal/diaphyseal lobulated lesion that was noted in a female of the age of 19. (No x-ray provided).
5. Patient has swelling 2 months post-op, what is the reason. Proceed to show you an x-ray that looks perfectly normal with normal fixation.

It's funny when my interns and second years asked me how to study for it, my answer is I don't really know how. I think most of the questions I could answer came from experience in residency but the fact that a good portion of the test is just poorly worded questions/answers makes it a crapshoot.

 

[Bored Snorlax]

There will always be an alternate board in podiatry. There always has been.

Our training is highly variable, student talent and acceptances are widely variable.
What is fairly basic and takes a bit of study for some is nearly impossible for others.
Many residencies never do any stuff that others come out almost universally proficient in.

It would be good if the alternate podiatry boards would merge...
Heck knows the ABPM needs the help and good people after the walkout of most of their elected BOD and execs last year. That was a dumpster fire.


The same can be said for any medical specialty, but you see what you know.
Board exams are basically to confirm the common stuff and quiz a bit on the oddball also.

It's important to at least recognize the basics of things - and be aware of oddball things - that may come into your office. Even if you don't do ankle surgery, you will get some appointments for complications of it, post-op needs of procedures done elsewhere, some patients who are candidates for it, etc. It is up to each DPM what the do and what they refer, but core F&A knowledge should be fairly universal (like MD specialties' knowledge/standards). It is not that way at all in podiatry right now. I remember one wound wizard was on here bragging they were treating another doc's TAR dehiscence... without awareness of how dangerous that can quickly get and become revision, BKA or worse.

Sounds like survival of the fittest of whichever board has more people certified. The one board proposition is a promising idea, but it definitely needs fine tuning and collaboration to make it work. I will have to follow up with a comprehensive response later due to exams.

 

[wakaflocka88]

Sounds like survival of the fittest of whichever board has more people certified. The one board proposition is a promising idea, but it definitely needs fine tuning and collaboration to make it work. I will have to follow up with a comprehensive response later due to exams.

Finish school and training first then you’ll eventually come to realize how scammy this all is.

 

[MicroPod]

Is there really any point to getting ABFAS if you plan to practice rural where they don’t really care what you have?

 

[diabeticfootdr]

667 cosponsors for Prop 2-24 already!

That’s never happened before!

 

[JustAPedicurist]

667 cosponsors for Prop 2-24 already!

That’s never happened before!

I really hope this happens.

 

[dtrack22]

Is there really any point to getting ABFAS if you plan to practice rural where they don’t really care what you have?

You won’t need ABFAS to practice in a rural community with a full scope, 99% of the time…I’m sure someone will be right along to tell us about the one exception. The only thing to consider is that not having it could make you less likely to get the job in the first place (if you are in an applicant pool with 50 other people). Or, if you were to decide you didn’t like living or working there any more, you could have an even harder time than we already do finding new employment.

In a perfect world, you already have this rural job locked up and it’s a location you and family want to be, and employer never dicks you over, and you stay there your whole career treating anything you want with ABPM cert only. I mean, I practice full scope in a rural facility with only ABPM and I’m doing pretty good for myself. But I definitely understand the disadvantage I would be at if I had to or wanted to become a free agent again (aka unemployed), because I don’t have ABFAS cert on paper. Even though I do more surgery than a majority of their diplomats…

 

[Feli]

Is there really any point to getting ABFAS if you plan to practice rural where they don’t really care what you have?

It's most useful for getting top consideration for jobs in the first place, as mentioned above.
ABFAS Foot cert puts you in the top half or so of DPMs for most jobs, and RRA much higher.
ABFAS simply shows you've passed tough tests; shows you've done cases.
ABPM does basically nothing for jobs/CV as everyone passes that one.
The main thing is definitely that your job options will be crippled without ABFAS qual/cert (hence this whole attempt for people who didn't pass to have"one board").

It's also about being certified in your primary specialty and minimizing any issues with surgery privileging.
As for hospitals and privileges (regardless of it you work for them or just do cases there), some require ABFAS, some do not. Rural or less desired areas/facilities tend to be more lax as they're just more hard up for docs and cases overall. In metros and suburbs, it is very common to require ABFAS qual for surgical privileges... and usually require cert within 5yrs.

Just because you work rural for a first job or for awhile doesn't mean you won't change later. Most podiatrists work 25+ years... or even 35+ years. I personally lasted about 2 years in truly rural work... back to at least small/medium cities and towns. Some hospitals, esp many IHS/VA, also give higher salary for ABFAS cert vs not. Realize that the gatekeepers for the vast majority of pod jobs are DPMs... and they know ABFAS is fairly hard and any podiatrist passes ABPM. For most jobs, the applicants without ABFAS get tossed right away... and they still have a ton to sort through. I have had my own CV tossed many times back when I was ABFAS qual (for hospital jobs... IHS, private sector, VA); the employers had so many apps with ABFAS cert that the pod reviewing apps (or the HR of hiring) told me when I called or emailed to follow up on my CV submit that I wouldn't be considered for interview without cert status. "We'll let you know if we extend the job search to include more" (never did).

Other benefits are that the ABFAS logging system is good to use; nearly any hospital will ask for residency logs... and attending logs. It's easy to generate PDF lists. I've used that dozens of times for staff application/privileges or renews.

A huge benefit in my eyes is ACFAS (journal, conferences, cme online, etc etc). A lot of the CME in podiatry is very low quality (Present, Apma, etc are largely garbage), but ACFAS is the best CME and journal... the best minds we have. You need ABFAS qual/cert to get ACFAS membership and member rates and accesses and workshops and etc. I kinda wish it weren't that way (I'd prefer ACFAS available for all DPMs), but that's how it is... logically so. I don't love that the rich DPMs get richer with good CME while the poor get poorer with mediocre CME, though.

...It is basically a career self-neutering in podiatry to not get ABFAS qual and to not try for at least ABFAS Foot cert, imo... add RRA if you do those cases and can get that cert will give even more job options. Are there some ppl who do fine with just ABPM - or even with a non-recognized pod board? Sure... but why chance it? Podiatry is highly saturated job market, even if you use all advantages. Why lose job options and best CME without even trying? ABPM is the alternate, and it's fine for ppl who can't pass ABFAS or don't do surgery... but it's crazy not to shoot for the main goal and best results/advantage possible (assuming you do any OR surgery).

 

[MoostashPod]

It's going to be called the American Board of Podiatric Medicine and Surgery (ABPMS). There we go, it now has five letters to challenge ABFAS. Wait a minute....what are we about? 🤔

 

[PODIATRYCRAZE]

Is there really any point to getting ABFAS if you plan to practice rural where they don’t really care what you have?

I will be practicing in major metro with ABPM. Surgery included. There is no point unless you want to work for a previous ABFAS employer who requires it, or some major medical institutions like Harvard.

 

[Bored Snorlax]

Finish school and training first then you’ll eventually come to realize how scammy this all is.

Two board certifications in a standard three-year surgical residency cause confusion for hospitals, employers, etc. There needs to be a better solution.

 

[bloxxeeey]

I think the issue I have is with the ABFAS process. I was fortunate I passed both rear foot exams the first time around but I had to redo the foot exam two days ago and guess what 6 of my questions were ankle fractures. Again with low quality imaging/question stems and answers.

No other specialty worries about their boards, we do. I have yet to see one IM/Ortho/Optho/Gen Surg/Urology/Neuro/EM/IM/FM/Oby-Gyn or ENT resident at my hospital worry about boards. To add onto this with the stress of finding a decent job especially with our job market.

 

[Retrograde_Nail]

ABFAS case review process is a pain ass and unnecessarily challenging due to the significant amount of paperwork you have to submit. I took a week off from work to do it all and I put in 8 hour days trying to find all the documentation.

Regardless, if you follow their guidelines and hit all the check marks you will do fine and maximize points to pass.

A bad outcome doesn’t mean failure. A bad outcome with bad documentation and clinical reasoning will be a failure.

Outside of the ABFAS case review process everyone should be able to pass the computer exams. If you can’t that’s on you. You should do board wizards and learn how to do the test. If you do that and still can’t pass then you have not mastered foot and ankle after all this time and you probably should not be a podiatrist.

Then you have ABPM on the other end of the spectrum which everyone passes. What’s the pass rate officially? Has to be close to 100%

Board certification pass rate should be high. You did the education and residency training and hit your step stones to get there. You should pass the board certifying exam. The problem is podiatry standards are NOT MD/DO standards. If they were this entire discussion would be mute because everyone would be passing. Podiatry education is variable from school to school and residency training is disgustingly even more variable.

Podiatry is its own victim. Everything people complain about is because podiatry leadership let it happen.

We are seeing it with the fellowship craze. Fellowship training means nothing now. Everyone has a fellowship and there are a lot who have no business having one.

 

[diabeticfootdr]

 

[Feli]

...No other specialty worries about their boards, we do. I have yet to see one IM/Ortho/Optho/Gen Surg/Urology/Neuro/EM/IM/FM/Oby-Gyn or ENT resident at my hospital worry about boards....

No other specialty has people who got 480-something on MCAT who did suspect residency with little or no academics and board prep.
So... there's that ^^

It is just hard to compare cutting toenails and wounds with medciore attendings and joke academics at a VAMC or a small hospital pod program to MD residency training. They often are night and day... both the people and the programs.

If you did residency in a major MD teaching trauma hospital (vast majority of DPMs don't... since few of our programs have what theirs almost universally do) with teaching attendings and academics and board prep and practice exams and M&M and grand rounds and req research, then you know what MD programs function like. And also, don't forget that they also have immensely smart people entering the MD schools and residency on the front ends. It should be expected that most will pass their boards.

... The problem is podiatry standards are NOT MD/DO standards. If they were this entire discussion would be mute because everyone would be passing. Podiatry education is variable from school to school and residency training is disgustingly even more variable.

Podiatry is its own victim. Everything people complain about is because podiatry leadership let it happen. ...

Yes, perfect. ^

We take far too many students, many residencies are not good, and the end result is not surprising (board failures, job market mess, ROI, lack of respect in medical community, fraud and scams, other podiatry issues). Having every DPM pass boards by lowering the bar doesn't fix that. That's putting lipstick on a pig. Years and years of smaller grad classes of incoming better students and better residency training could be a nice start.

 

[LossToFollowUp]

If the APMA can't control the number of schools, how can they control the number of boards?

This question is the real nuts to butts question here. How realistic is having one board at this time? Considering APMA's non-existent power to limit/stop new schools, how are we expecting them to implement one board? The APMA bylaw section 8 quoted in that letter does not appear defining enough to enforce private entities to succumb this proposition.

 

[Feli]

This question is the real nuts to butts question here. How realistic is having one board at this time? Considering APMA's non-existent power to limit/stop new schools, how are we expecting them to implement one board? The APMA bylaw section 8 quoted in that letter does not appear defining enough to enforce private entities to succumb this proposition.

You guys are reading this all wrong...

Of course APMA could limit podiatry schools/seats... they make more $ with more students, more seats, more DPM members and dues, more perceived lobby power, etc. CPME and APMA are same address/suite... look them up, no coincidence there. They could limit schools or close bad residencies, but they don't. They work in lock step.

This "one board" thing is just to try to push for more power for the alternate board... right now, they are - and have been - just a second choice board that can't even agree amongst themselves (ABPM execs and board tried to impeach OP prez and then walked out last year 2023, then-prez implanted non-elected bogus yes-ppl to push this slop that he and other expired prez hatched years ago). It's just selling easy answers... same as the CAQs or any product they try to come up with. None of it fixes the core podiatry problems: saturation and training.

This new (soon to fail) prop attempt is just saying they want the benefits and the same "one board" name on their CV (which they view as better job options, better exams, more members, more dues, etc). It's natural to want that without having to do the work of passing the harder and more legit board. It's an easy sell to their alternate board members who want same, but APMA doesn't really care (aside from maybe a grudge against ACFAS for not req APMA membership, and ACFAS is ABFAS' cousin of sorts).

Don't buy into the dog and pony show of ABPM. Try not to worry about APMA "fixing" podiatry.
Quit looking at APMA as the answer.. instead, it's actually the question, which is:

 

[JustAPedicurist]

Everyone who has abfas gatekeeps for them because it’s a way to keep competition out, it’s pretty sad. We need one board. One that is fair but also does the job of protecting the public

 

[Feli]

Everyone who has abfas gatekeeps for them because it’s a way to keep competition out, it’s pretty sad. We need one board. One that is fair but also does the job of protecting the public

It is like that in some situations, but that's not as common as you think. "Everyone" is not accurate.
You will see that when you get out there into practice and apply for hospitals' staff.
There is the whole spectrum from ABPM flies to ABFAS qual/cert needed to DPMs don't do cases or get refers for much at all - no matter what cert/logs.

ABPM exists because people fail ABFAS. It's that simple.
ABFAS is a standard, and while far from perfect, it is a way to generally ID the DPMs who have surgical knowledge/exp.
If the two merged (not a chance), you'd just have some different board as the alternate podiatry board.

...Everything ABPM does lately is to attract members, make money, collect dues, cause conflict, self promote. It's pathetic little man syndrome stuff. It's a business. The CAQs, esp surgery, is more profit and mainly trying for more conflict, the high nearly 100% pass rates are for more members, the grandstanding is to make waves and get attention. It causes the infighting and impeach callings for the OP. Now... the "one board" hocus is to try to get even more job security and money and "power" for the goof troop after most of the truly elected ppl of ABPM quit last year. It's little man syndrome at its finest. All of it does nothing to help the podiatry education standards, the job market, or the ROI (but it makes them money and "fame" nonetheless).

A bunch of you guys are taking this OP politico hook line and sinker... but it doesn't have to be 'B is bad, then A must be good.' It's the same nonsense isreal/palestine or dem/repub count on. Play past it. The outgoing ABPM board who tried to impeach him was smart enough to see through it.

...In reality, if ABFAS was so evil, they'd just make easy exams, have far more members, and that'd be that (only a tiny % of DPMs would need the alternate board). They could probably sell bogus CAQ or raise dues. However, they don't do that stuff. They hold reasonable standards so that they are the board in podiatry that actually means something. Their affiliate education org is the best minds and journal and CME that we have, bar none.
And fwiw, I'm the only pod at my primary hospital with ABFAS cert... and I do nothing to block or limit any app/privileges, I put any any new staff DPM in touch with reps, tell them what sets are on shelf, offer to give a tour, introduce them to schedulers and hospital ppl contact, etc if they want.

 

[HeySister]

You guys are reading this all wrong...

Of course APMA could limit podiatry schools/seats... they make more $ with more students, more seats, more DPM members and dues, more perceived lobby power, etc. CPME and APMA are same address/suite... look them up, no coincidence there. They could limit schools or close bad residencies, but they don't. They work in lock step.

This "one board" thing is just to try to push for more power for the alternate board... right now, they are - and have been - just a second choice board that can't even agree amongst themselves (ABPM execs and board tried to impeach OP prez and then walked out last year 2023, then-prez implanted non-elected bogus yes-ppl to push this slop that he and other expired prez hatched years ago). It's just selling easy answers... same as the CAQs or any product they try to come up with. None of it fixes the core podiatry problems: saturation and training.

This new (soon to fail) prop attempt is just saying they want the benefits and the same "one board" name on their CV (which they view as better job options, better exams, more members, more dues, etc). It's natural to want that without having to do the work of passing the harder and more legit board. It's an easy sell to their alternate board members who want same, but APMA doesn't really care (aside from maybe a grudge against ACFAS for not req APMA membership, and ACFAS is ABFAS' cousin of sorts).

Don't buy into the dog and pony show of ABPM. Try not to worry about APMA "fixing" podiatry.
Quit looking at APMA as the answer.. instead, it's actually the question, which is:

a cynical point of view but something I struggle with is that the MD/DO training model of rigorous training for 3-8 years results in good jobs. Even the best podiatry training results in a crap shoot for post training financial outcomes. It's hard to cover call every 3 days and work 24 hour shifts and see 50 patients for your attending clinic and then leave and make $150,000 if you are lucky. We all talk about the student loans, but what about the fact that even the best training is unlikely to land a job over $200,000. For us, the light at the end of the tunnel is often fleeting. You can have great training and fail to land a good job. Most don't. It can be a long and dark tunnel even after the expected exit. I would feel a lot better if all the grads from Wheaton and upmc and inova and dmc and west Penn and Kaiser sf all landed high paying jobs every year. They don't

So don't worry about the name of the board. Do what must be done to pass abfas and move on. You are still in the tunnel no matter the name of the board

 

[med2345]

The doom and gloom of podiatry on SDN has been extra spicy lately.

 

[PODIATRYCRAZE]

Little man syndrome in podiatry is a DPM pretending to be and MD/DO.

In reality we should be using our skills to prove our worth. Not the letters behind our name.

In the board scenario you paint about ABPM vs ABFAS, ABPM is not the little man. ABFAS is the little man using their credential to put down ABPM, instead of using skill.

Do you know why there is no research showing poorer surgical outcomes from ABPM doctors versus ABFAS doctors? That is because there is no correlation. Poor surgical outcomes are from both sides in equal proportions. Prove me wrong with real facts and not anecdotes and then I will support the ABFAS.

 

[Weirdy]

Going to start deleting comments. Keep it clean. Will shut down thread next. Both of you have been warned.

 

[Retrograde_Nail]

a cynical point of view but something I struggle with is that the MD/DO training model of rigorous training for 3-8 years results in good jobs. Even the best podiatry training results in a crap shoot for post training financial outcomes. It's hard to cover call every 3 days and work 24 hour shifts and see 50 patients for your attending clinic and then leave and make $150,000 if you are lucky. We all talk about the student loans, but what about the fact that even the best training is unlikely to land a job over $200,000. For us, the light at the end of the tunnel is often fleeting. You can have great training and fail to land a good job. Most don't. It can be a long and dark tunnel even after the expected exit. I would feel a lot better if all the grads from Wheaton and upmc and inova and dmc and west Penn and Kaiser sf all landed high paying jobs every year. They don't

So don't worry about the name of the board. Do what must be done to pass abfas and move on. You are still in the tunnel no matter the name of the board

It’s not cynical. It’s reality. Good jobs are hard to find even for the best trained podiatrists. We are seeing a ton of fellowship trained DPMs working in private practice now. That tells you everything you need to know about the job market.

 

[Feli]

It’s not cynical. It’s reality. Good jobs are hard to find even for the best trained podiatrists. We are seeing a ton of fellowship trained DPMs working in private practice now. That tells you everything you need to know about the job market.

Yes,

It's just a 'one board' show to give fake answers. It is a distraction from the real podiatry issues.

No matter what we call our boards or what we call podiatrists or how long we make training, it's a distraction from the fact that there are just too many of us and most of our training programs are not high quality. Tuition obviously inflates fast. Jobs and ROI are bad and getting worse.

In this case, "one board" solution is a money/power/attention grab.
Even if DPM boards were forced to merge (they will not), you'd just have an alternate easier board pop up (ABPM's function now)... and there would be a new surgery designation or sub-board or optional cert within the new joint board (ABFAS function now). Tweaking nomenclatures does nothing for the core issue of saturation and training and lack of compensation and ROI.

The boards talk is just about making people money off of people wanting to feel important and needing answers - needing better jobs.
We saw this already roughly ten year ago with ABPS and ABPOPPM changing names to ABFAS and ABPM. The podiatry job market and the ROI for years/money has worsened since then; we've added needless new pod schools and countless fellowships in that timespan. That tells us all we need to know. It is supply and demand, not just easy answers.

 

[footshazam]

it’s kinda crazy to be fighting over 2 different boards while in an enrollment crisis… podiatry confuses me and more everyday… idk if I should stay or run lol…

 

[podiatryresident]

it’s kinda crazy to be fighting over 2 different boards while in an enrollment crisis… podiatry confuses me and more everyday… idk if I should stay or run lol…

What year are your in now ? if less than 2 years in school, you should consider it
I'm surprised the ABPM ones want to have one board. Everyone knows ABFAS is better and it's available for everyone. ABPM is for the people can't fulfill the ABFAS requirements ( for any reason ). It's a good alternative pathway in my opinion, especially fresh graduates. ABFAS holders should be the ones who fight for this, not ABPM!

 

[GreenHousePub]

it’s kinda crazy to be fighting over 2 different boards while in an enrollment crisis… podiatry confuses me and more everyday… idk if I should stay or run lol…

Is it an enrollment crises? I thought one person posted that there was less spots, and then someone posted its the highest it's been in 5 years.

 

[med2345]

Is it an enrollment crises? I thought one person posted that there was less spots, and then someone posted its the highest it's been in 5 years.

I remember looking at the stats for 2023 year. The matriculants (mid to high 500’s) are still high but somehow only 400 or something of them took the MCAT? But I know the bigger schools have less matriculants probably to offset LECOM and Texas. But nothing is ever clear in podiatry so who knows

 

[footshazam]

What year are your in now ? if less than 2 years in school, you should consider it
I'm surprised the ABPM ones want to have one board. Everyone knows ABFAS is better and it's available for everyone. ABPM is for the people can't fulfill the ABFAS requirements ( for any reason ). It's a good alternative pathway in my opinion, especially fresh graduates. ABFAS holders should be the ones who fight for this, not ABPM!

I’m in 3 rd year… but the outlook makes me not want to stay but I also don’t want to startover