Possible Residency Shortage

[podpal]

Look at the CASPR/CRIP page and see how many residency programs Withdrew last year. It looks like there are even fewer programs available for 2010 than 2009.

The schools are out to make $, not place their grads. The CPME makes it really hard to set up new residency programs, so it effectively ties the hands of graduates who don't match 1st time out. For example, I have a teaching hospital with enough podiatric surgery going on to sustain at least 2 residency slots. The MD director of the hospital would be delighted to have podiatry residents on board and use his facility for a podiatry residency program. The ABPS certified DPMs agreed to teach residents affiliated with a program but will not act as a director of a program. The CPME mandates that the director of the program be board certified, not simply a licensed podiatrist, and that will prohibit the other DPMs from acting as director. So, my hands are tied, and I go on to the world of clip & chip. What a shame for the field! It's so sad!

There's going to be a whole lot of unhappy podiatrists generated in 2010 and 2011 and future years if the CPME doesn't allow programs to open up.

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[dpmgrad]

Look at the CASPR/CRIP page and see how many residency programs Withdrew last year. It looks like there are even fewer programs available for 2010 than 2009.

The schools are out to make $, not place their grads. The CPME makes it really hard to set up new residency programs, so it effectively ties the hands of graduates who don't match 1st time out. For example, I have a teaching hospital with enough podiatric surgery going on to sustain at least 2 residency slots. The MD director of the hospital would be delighted to have podiatry residents on board and use his facility for a podiatry residency program. The ABPS certified DPMs agreed to teach residents affiliated with a program but will not act as a director of a program. The CPME mandates that the director of the program be board certified, not simply a licensed podiatrist, and that will prohibit the other DPMs from acting as director. So, my hands are tied, and I go on to the world of clip & chip. What a shame for the field! It's so sad!

There's going to be a whole lot of unhappy podiatrists generated in 2010 and 2011 and future years if the CPME doesn't allow programs to open up.

CPME 320 document states that the DPM must be board certified. It does not state that the DPM must be board certified with ABPS. I know of a few PM&S-24 and PM&S-36 programs that have residency directors that are ABPOPPM board certified and are not ABPS board certified.

I do understand the hesitation of practicing DPMs wanting to be a director of a residency program. I am currently an assistant residency director and can tell you that there is quite a bit of work that needs to be done to keep a residency program running smoothly.

Lastly, have you considered to be a residency director?

 

[podpal]

I'd love to become a residency director but I don't have residency training. I was in a class that had too many students graduate and not enough residency slots. I went through the CASPR/CRIP ordeal 3x, spent in excess of $27,000.00 in travel/expenses over 3 years and finally gave up and went into practice.

I'm concerned because our profession is going to have a whole lot more graduates who went through what I did. It's a shame. EVERY GRADUATE DESERVES post graduate training and it's NOT going to be possible given the current restrictions on facilities and directors by the CPME.

Even the Director of our local teaching hospital, an MD, is willing to start up a program for DPM's. Isn't it true that the ONLY boards that are recognized are ABPS and ABPOPPM? There is another surgical board for DPMs from what I understand, would this board be recognized as well?

 

[dpmgrad]

I'd love to become a residency director but I don't have residency training. I was in a class that had too many students graduate and not enough residency slots. I went through the CASPR/CRIP ordeal 3x, spent in excess of $27,000.00 in travel/expenses over 3 years and finally gave up and went into practice.

I'm concerned because our profession is going to have a whole lot more graduates who went through what I did. It's a shame. EVERY GRADUATE DESERVES post graduate training and it's NOT going to be possible given the current restrictions on facilities and directors by the CPME.

Even the Director of our local teaching hospital, an MD, is willing to start up a program for DPM's. Isn't it true that the ONLY boards that are recognized are ABPS and ABPOPPM? There is another surgical board for DPMs from what I understand, would this board be recognized as well?

According to CPME 320 document, section 5.2:

The director of podiatric medical education should be certified in the appropriate specialty area(s) by the American Board of Podiatric Orthopedics and Primary Podiatric Medicine and/or the American Board of Podiatric Surgery or possess similar qualifications.

 

[PADPM]

This is certainly a significant problem, and seeking board certification from one of the "alternate" boards is not the answer. In my opinion, the ABPS should allow ANY DPM to sit for the certification examination as long as the required surgical cases have been submitted and reviewed, and the candidate has passed the written and oral examination.

It should not matter what type of residency was completed or when the DPM trained. As long as the required cases were submitted and the candidate passed the written and oral examinations, the candidate should be allowed to be board certified. Period.

I AM board certified by the ABPS and I served as an oral examiner for the ABPS for many years. And I can tell you that there is a very strange mentality among many of the upper echelon that is not consistent with "moving forward".

Many are more concerned with protecting themselves, though they claim they want to "protect the public". The perfect example is re-certification.

For those board certified DPM's that INITIATED this rule, the rationale was that it was necessary for ABPS board certified doctors to have to re-certify every 10 years, to "prove competence" in order to have legitimacy for the board certification certificate and to "protect the public" and guarantee to the public that the board certification certificate of the ABPS had some "meaning".

But, lo and behold, for those that MADE this new rule to "protect the public", they made themselves exempt from this new "re-certification" process. They protected THEIR asses and covered themselves. Yes, they have to "re-certify" by taking some bogus "self-assessment" exam every 10 years that is basically meaningless, since there is no ramification to the exam. It is a "self assessment" exam that no one sees or scores.

However, everyone AFTER them has to submit a list of cases and sit for a REAL examination, pay about $900-1000 to sit for the examination and take a REAL test to become "re-certified" every ten years.

Therefore, the "good old boys" instituted a set of rules, but excluded THEMSELVES. The irony of the whole matter is that if ANYONE needed to be tested, it was them, because so many of THEM were certified so long ago, THEIR competence level was really in question as being harmful to the public, not the younger doctors that were the one's that were being asked to be re-certified every 10 years!!!

So, the ABPS really has a biased agenda and does not have the best interest of the community as it's primary goal, or the old timers would be re-certified every 10 years without any "grandfathering" clause that they allowed themselves.

I stopped being an examiner because I could no longer be part of the hypocrisy. There are a lot of great people in the ABPS, but until a few of the group with the good ol boy mentality are cleared out, there will be an obstacle that will remain that has an elitist attitude, that wants to put a wedge in our small profession. They don't care, as long as THEY have their small piece of the pie.

I've seen this same group shut down residency programs because of lack of rearfoot cases, etc., instead of attempting to help programs. We have a responsibility to our graduates, to provide a quality residency training program for EVERY graduate. It's something that the schools, APMA, APBS and ABPOPPM need to sit down and figure out so our graduates aren't left with inadequate training.

 

[ldsrmdude]

Therefore, the "good old boys" instituted a set of rules, but excluded THEMSELVES. The irony of the whole matter is that if ANYONE needed to be tested, it was them, because so many of THEM were certified so long ago, THEIR competence level was really in question as being harmful to the public, not the younger doctors that were the one's that were being asked to be re-certified every 10 years!!!

So, the ABPS really has a biased agenda and does not have the best interest of the community as it's primary goal, or the old timers would be re-certified every 10 years without any "grandfathering" clause that they allowed themselves.

I saw a somewhat similar (although very limited)situation at the last OB/GYN my wife went to before we moved here. There were 2 younger doctors and 1 older one, and the older doc had a very different idea about how to practice. Long story short, the 2 younger doctors basically just waited until the older doctor retired and the second he left, they completely overhauled their practice. Is that what is going to have to happen here, we just wait it out until the older "grandfathered" doctors quit and younger doctors with a more up-to-date attitude get power, or is there something that realistically be done now?

 

[Podmeister]

PADPM,
Thank you for sharing such vast experiences and informative insights into ABPS and the hypocrisy of the good old boy mentality that has plagued podiatry for so long. I am glad to know there are leaders with the moral clarity and integrity like yourself out there who will someday help navigate the profession forward and push for inclusiveness rather than divisiveness. I agree that every graduate should attain quality residency training, gather sufficient cases and qualify to sit for board certification. Only then with uniform training, will podiatrists end such bitter divisiveness and in-fighting to become politically united on the national front and demand for practice parity.

Not too long ago, I was denied privileges to a local hospital because a DPM on the medical staff committee had pushed for a new bylaw requiring ABPS certification only …and I was not. The new bylaw only applies to new applicants and excludes the rest of the current on staff DPMs who were not ABPS certified. According to Medicare regulations, any hospital accepting Medicare payment can not discriminate or deny privileges against an applicant based on affiliations with a professional society or associations. To make a long story short, I did not feel it was worth my time to fight the system, withdrew my application, and applied to a different hospital that was more than happy to receive my surgical cases.

 

[later2pharm]

this artificial shortage keeps physician salaries up, why complain?

 

[215512]

this artificial shortage keeps physician salaries up, why complain?

+infinity

 

[ldsrmdude]

this artificial shortage keeps physician salaries up, why complain?

We are talking about residency shortages, not job shortages here. I guess the ones who can complain are the ones who don't get a residency and end up with very few options and a lot of debt. Add in those who think that it is bad for the profession as a whole when we graduate doctors who have no chance to get a residency and advanced training, and I can think of a lot of reasons to complain. While I am an optimist and think things will work out between now and when I graduate, I suppose there is that chance that I could be one of the ones to not get a residency. That would make me complain for sure!

 

[bobdolerson]

I know I'm digging up an old topic, but I searched for up to date information about this to no avail.


Any updated statistics about the current residency shortage situation?

 

[MaxillofacialMN]

I know I'm digging up an old topic, but I searched for up to date information about this to no avail.


Any updated statistics about the current residency shortage situation?

Probably much worse, especially with Western's graduates entering the pool

 

[bobdolerson]

I've found posts from the last 5 years that all say the higher-ups are doing what they can to solve the problem, and just keep seeing the admission rates increase and increase without a proportional residency increase.

I'd really like to see the numbers for this year, but can't find them anywhere.

Makes me curious...I'm not /really/ worried...I'm in the top half of my class, I'll probably be higher by the time I graduate (at least I hope). I'm personable and understand how to interview, and am willing to work my ass off throughout the entirety of my clinical time to be the best I can be. But with a heckofalot of other students doing the same thing, my chances can't be 100%, and getting more and more student debt without a solid chance of a residency even after jumping through all the right hoops?

That just ain't good...

 

[that1guyfromFL]

I'd really like to see the numbers for this year, but can't find them anywhere.

That's because the match hasn't taken place yet for the class of 2012.

The number of residency positions are changing somewhat regularly and the number of eligible students can be pretty fluid until after the APMLE Part 2 scores are released and the actual match day and subsequent scramble take place. We should get updated numbers about residency position numbers and match statistics for this cycle once the dust settles.

If you are interested in the numbers for last cycle that came out 6-7 months ago, your class delegate or school president should be able to provide that info for you. My school usually has a class presentation on this topic whenever the new numbers are available, you could also ask the administration for an update.

 

[bobdolerson]

Thank you!

 

[JackedUp]

CASPR Current Numbers:

Applicants as of 11/15/11:

Class of 2012: 529
Previous Grads : 69
- Class of 2011: 45 (65%)
- Class of 2010: 13 (19%)
- Older: 11 (16%)
Totals: 598 applicants
Programs as of 11/15/11: 211
Positions as of 11/15/11: 525
Expected shortage: 73

Keep in mind every year approximatley 10-15% of students fail boards part II. As for the students who failed to match the year before, there is probably a good reason for that.

Good Luck to every one in the class of 2012,and previous years for this years match. Thank you.