ABFAS Statement on ABPM Certificate of Added Qualification in Podiatric Surgery
The American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery (ABFAS) is the only recognized certifying board for foot and ankle surgery in the United States. We are deeply concerned about the announcement by the American Board of Podiatric Medicine (ABPM) that it plans to issue a new, unrecognized certification in podiatric surgery. The Council on Podiatric Medical Education (CPME) recognizes only ABFAS certification for podiatric surgery. By offering its new surgical certification, which is without recognition by any accrediting body, ABPM risks injecting confusion into the US healthcare market about podiatrists’ qualifications to perform surgery, harming public health, and sullying the reputation of currently surgical-certified podiatrists throughout the country. ABPM’s marketing communications about its new certification program are already causing health care providers to misunderstand the serious and substantial importance of a surgeon’s certification in podiatric surgery.
The ABPM’s new certification is intended to be perceived as similar to certification by ABFAS. It is not. In addition to not being recognized by an accrediting body—which hospital privileging boards and patients must be made aware of and are likely not to understand without a detailed explanation—the ABPM surgical certification program lacks any review of newer podiatrist’s actual surgical experience, sometimes referred to as case review. Case Review is a hallmark of surgical certification by ABFAS.
Our concern about health care providers’ and the public’s confusion is fomented by ABPM’s already confusing marketing communications, which reflect at least three misleading statements.
First, ABPM asserts that surgery is a “subspecialty” of podiatry. This is incorrect. Surgery is a specialty area of podiatric practice, and ABFAS is the only recognized board for the surgical specialty area of practice. Second, ABPM asserts that there is only one residency track for podiatrists, and therefore podiatrists’ experience should be considered equally. There are in fact two residency tracks for podiatrists, Podiatric Medicine and Surgery Residency (PMSR) and Podiatric Medicine and Surgery Residency/Reconstructive Rearfoot/Ankle (PMSR/RRA). While the PMSR/RRA residency program trains podiatrists in reconstructive/rearfoot and ankle surgery, PMSR does not. Third, ABPM compares its new certification to the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) Certificate of Added Qualification (CAQ) programs, to which ABMS now refers as subspecialty certification. However, the ABMS subspecialty certification must be approved by the applicable accrediting body (the ABMS Committee on Certification (COCERT)), and ABMS’ non-surgical boards do not offer surgical subspecialties, as ABPM implies. These concerns are not new. We submitted a complaint earlier this year to the CPME, asking it to review ABPM’s proposed new certification program rules for its obvious attempt to blur the lines of surgical certification. The CPME, however, determined at the time that this certification was not within CPME’s jurisdiction. We disagree, and we are submitting another complaint because we believe ABPM is failing to comply with at least two CPME requirements:
ABPM is not making only truthful and accurate statements in its communications, in violation of CPME 220 § 11.5. ABPM is offering certifications in an area not recognized by CPME’s standards. ABPM’s “Certifications of Additional Qualifications” are in fact “certifications.” The standards prohibit ABPM from offering “certifications” beyond those authorized by CPME because this may foster fragmentation and confusion in the health care market (CPME 220 §§ 1.4, 4.6, 12.2). ABPM’s new certification for surgery plainly represents the “fragmentation and duplication” prohibited by CPME 220 § 1.4, and represents a substantive and significant departure from the scope of ABPM’s approved certifications in violation of CPME 220 §§ 4.6 and 12.2. ABFAS contends that CPME failed to comply with its own standards when it determined not to address ABFAS’s complaint filed earlier this year, and we strongly urge CPME to consider this complaint more seriously. CPME’s bylaws (see Ch. 19) require it to take action to address complaints that a standard or requirement is not being followed. CPME 230 requires that CPME seriously evaluate a specialty board’s change in scope. ABPM’s new certificate represents a “distinct and significant philosophical change in the definition and scope of the specialty area [and] the original intent of the specialty board,” and thus must “require that the specialty board seek recognition as a new applicant in accord with the expectations for specialty boards seeking initial recognition.” This new complaint, like ABFAS’s January 3, 2022 complaint, identifies critical issues that are squarely “relevant and related to substantive issues pertaining to CPME standards, requirements, criteria, or procedures” (CPME 925).
We thus call upon CPME to undertake a thorough investigation of ABPM’s new certification program, requiring that ABPM immediately cease in the interim to launch the program until CPME is satisfied that the health care community and the public will not be harmed, and that ABPM is in compliance with CPME’s requirements.
We also ask you, the podiatric community, to contact CPME, the APMA Board of Trustees, and the Specialty Board Recognition Committee to express your concerns.
Did anyone notice how suddenly all the discussion about the medicine ” board ” CAQ disappeared from PM ? Does anybody wonder why ?
My father ended the discussion. My dad wanted to prevent his friend, Lee Rogers, from looking like an idiot.
And the quack colleges tell you NOT TO GO TO THE CARIBBEAN because you might not get a program???!! Well then, You’d better STAY AWAY FROM PODIATRY IF YOU WANT SECURITY. Here it is, 2022 +1/2, and podiatry is STILL TRYING to define itself. Here we go again. Who can, or should, do “surgery”? Gee, you’d think we’re talking about cardiac bypass or Neuro tumor removal. It’s an effen foot and in a few states an ankle. For a good part of my 40 years it was a battle with the MIS and the ABPS. Now it’s a battle with… Read more »
Lots of translation needed to get at the Truth from today’s misleading Barry Block’s PM censored news. I’ll just work my way down starting with Podiatrist Greenhagen. As usual, for podiatry, he’s called co-“OWNER”, NOT DOCTOR and he learned from years of podiatric trickery to call his BUSINESS A “CENTER” (OF ALL OF NEBRASKA)! Why are so many foot businesses CENTERS when in reality NONE ARE centers of anything, just a local foot business. Pepper and season the lies with a little Limb Salvage and Reconstruction and voila you have a TRAP many of the public fall into. Regular ADVERTISER,… Read more »
To CPME,APMA and speciallitu board. Stop infighting and help expand Podiatry!
Sorry speciality board…
Hey, all you proud podiatrist who think you’re just like a DOCTOR. Be sure to show your MD colleagues (that you think you’re “just like”) a copy of that prestigious PM News run by the SHOE PERVERT BARRY BLOCK. Show the MD that you can win a PAIR OF SHOE STERILIZERS! He’ll be impressed and wish he went to foot college instead of Medical School. Wow SHOE STERILIZERS!
Win some shoez. Silly ones. Sign up for shlock’s propaganda blast. Each day (except for Sat) you could win an unflushed toilet, or silly shoez.
Yes he spends Saturday in his home w/ fugly Hermine.
The present and future of podiatry. Asim SAYED discusses bunions. Yeah, that’s never been talked about before but it’s a good advertisement because pods need to advertise to get business. Nijah Faour got a job in Texas at PRIMER foot and ankle. Of course, Nijah would work at PRIMER not at just Nijah Faour, dpm. No, pod needs catchy names. Jaws podiatry, Gotham Podiatry. How about the lack of substance for Barry block to sell. He went over to jolly ol England to hear about ballet flats. Podiatry is shoes and there’s a shoe picture with teeth asking if this… Read more »
Brother Robert hope you are doing well. I think bunions can cause our patients great deal of discomfort and can be a serious medical foot problem sometimes requiring surgery. We need to do our best to help our patients and share our knowledge with each other in this short life. I learn a great deal from Podiatry Management, and the Journal of Dermascopy. In fact, my good friend Barry Block just gave a prize winner a dermatoscope (Dermlite GL dermatoscope sponsored by McClain Laboratories). Please read more about this fascinating device and how it can help your patients Robert. Let’s… Read more »
You are a fucked up man, Mr. Chaskin.
Foot tech Pandya wants to know how to charge patients for masks that are still…required by New Yawk as part of the theater. Some customers show up w/o masks. And he provides them to the customers. These masks cost money. And when you got only @26cm to fuck with, well you gotta be creative. As we know, Monies tight as a limited license foot technician with non transferable health/‘medical’ education. Any suggestions? Maybe billing codes , insurance, can help support his little business? Maybe a side hustle , sell naan bread with butter chicken, drive cabs, tame cobras, whatever to… Read more »
Funny. Sad. This is apparently podiatry. Why not a mask vending machine in the waiting room.? Hmmm
OMG JUSTIN, a mask vending machine! Get that idea copyrighted. Some dirty podiatrist is already planning on using it TO MAKE MORE MONEY!
7years and a quarter of a million dollars to get 26 cm.. The foot con men saw you coming RUBE!
To clairfy, that’s “Clinical Orthopedics and Related Research”.
Hmmmm! I wonder if this is an example where podiatry is NOT “just like”.
The MD orthopedic surgeons did a study that perhaps the foot technicians and their quack colleges should consider:
“SHOULD MORAL REASONING SERVE AS A CRITERIA FOR STUDENT AND RESIDENCY SELECTION”
Self, DJ; Baldwin, DC: Clinical Orthopedic relat. res., 2000; 378:115-123
Warning Will Robinson! Podiatrist approaching. Beware of lies and trickery. If the following doesn’t warn students about the danger of podiatry what will? Even crooked Podiatry and podiatry management ADMITS PODIATRY IS SINKING. The article says, ” S.O.S.” (SAVE OUR SHOES?) NO, save the foot school business because of the falling APPLICANT POOL. It seems that the public is catching on to the podiatry school and podiatry field scam and if you have an I.Q. between 90-110 even you can see podiatry is going nowhere and has VERY UNCERTAIN FUTURE. Give money, lecture to the HIGH SCHOOLS, talk up the… Read more »
When Podiatry was in the shadows the past 40 years you could get away with anything, many boards , many foot organizations, many crazy titles ( foot ankle and leg reconstructive surgeon) BUT the sun is now shining, insurance companies know about DPM coding games, medicare investigating wound care, Hospitals limiting surgical scopes of DPMS, and on and on. This can not be fixed. Just by the fact that no one applies to go to Podiatry college and residency for 7 years is proof, yet APMA does not see this and ACFAS thinks DPM is a surgical specialty. Healthcare has… Read more »
Oh those stupid podiatrists make me laugh. ILLYA MAKAROVSKIY talks about cramps. As if a podiatrist could treat thyroid disease, low calcium, high K+ anyway or be expected to understand the RENAL IMPLICATIONS. Cramps from varus’s or valgus’s yeah but don’t get into thyroid, liver or renal Mister Illya. Your license says feet only. The kids arch support salesman, De Caro, is excited he was “readers” (not dr’s) choice for best foot tech. Note they didn’t refer to him as a DOCTOR but he’s the OWNER! OWNER of his business. That’s how podiatrists are looked at with that NON-MD. Dirty… Read more »
Robert, the stupidity is stupefying in this rag of an online mag! I laugh at it because I can’t wait to read you’re reviews! Lol!
‘Entire JAWS Healthcare organization including doctors & staff, continue to learn and refine their skills to provide the most unforgettable ‘Jawsome’ foot and ankle experience to the entire world one toe at a time.’
This was podiatry business. It’s a jawsome business Roberto. And they wonder why they can’t find enough suckers /clowns to sign up for podiatry stool.
A brotherhood of losers: hustlers, hucksters, grifters, interlopers etc…
I love how your plusses keep getting negated!
Hey, check our Barry Block’s advertising rates! Note he has a payment APP that starts with a DOLLAR SIGN ($)!! $BARRYHBLOCK DIRTY MONEY GRUBBER. He doesn’t advertise the commercial rates. (They must be usurious) You have to contact his inside man for those. Still letting him have your e mail to get rich off of ? And you think you’re smart enough to be called a DOCTOR! You’re getting away with, aren’t you Block?
Danny boy considers that shyster a friend….speaks volumes.
He’s a fkg low life. Scum of the Earth. What was the purpose of his life other than collecting pieces of green paper by creating a false narrative to sell the dream, and advancing the business interests of organized podiatry?
Is that “statement” like the “strongly worded” letter sent by the foot ASSociation in 1995 (Ghastworthless) from the 20/20 expose regarding podlietry?
Hey, Insurance investigators. Did you read in Barry Block’s Shoe news about the dirty podiatrist who wants to get paid for giving lidocaine for post op pain?! While it may reduce pain for a while it certainly is not required or an integral part of the procedure. So, if you do something above and beyond the minimal, if you’re a podiatrist, you do it BECAUSE YOU’RE HOPING TO GET PAID FOR IT. Typical greedy, avaricious, podiatric morality. These questions are typical in podiatry. Some pod is always trying to make another buck. They even want to get paid for the… Read more »
So true. Some indoctrinated dipshit wrote into schlock’s propaganda rag inferring if he can get paid for the scamdemic masks given to patients…Paraphrasing that these things cost money and he needs to get money from them.
What a bleeping clown Robert. He’s likely quintuple boosted….boosting pharma profiteering
There are several common denominators in podiatry. All Bad. In fighting among the insecure medical school rejects trying to outdo each other. ABPM ABFAS fighting for power and money. Arch support lovers trying to sell shoe inserts based on fake science. A varus here a valgus there. A little post a little skive and a $500 bill. Defrauding insurance companies and each other. Read about pods with majority shares abusing those with lesser shares while they live a good life. Honor, morality, truth. You have to look far and wide in podiatry for those virtues. Shoe pictures, advertising and the… Read more »
JUST like two NYC Brassier and undergarment merchants carping about their BUSINESSES. ABFAS says they started their business around 1975 and controlled the market. Now the uppity ARCH SUPPORT BOARD (FAILED ABFOOPPMM orthotic board) THAT NAME CHANGED ITS NAME TO “medicine” now changing again to “and surgery” all to get a piece of the MONEY PIE. That Manhattan COMPETITION personality is at the heart of podiatry because podiatry was started as a “business” school selling ” minor medical treatments, shoes, and shoe inserts”. Listen to the double talk. ABFAS says it is the ONLY “recognized” (by those they bribed) board… Read more »
Abfooppm fake podo dodo board claimed to be ‘orthopaedics’ yet, they did not do surgery?!?! So, dp wtfs do not know that orthopaedics is a surgical specialty?!
It’s all abt $$$$. That’s it. $$$$ , status, control. Sickos
“fragmentation and duplication” prohibited by CPME 220 § 1.4,” so states CPME which has duplicated ACGME….
If the Rear foot pass rate was not so terribly low there would not be a need for another and anther certifying boards to pop -up.
This profession is so lost in egos and low IQs and poor management.
Flunk a lot and cause fear. Fear causes weakness and bad decisions. The fearful will gladly depart with their money (through seminars and review programs and booklets that promise a pass on the exam). The money flows and spins while the egotists and narcissists at the top revel in their position ABOVE you. Not a wholesome profession. The ABFAS has become a FRIGHTENING DICTATORSHIP.
Great point “frightening dictatorship”! So I guess the other dozens of podiatry boards should disband..
They all live in a glass bubble filled with mythologies, and will not hear an alternative. In fact, they’ll talk over you to keep the dominant narrative in place. They are Ontologically vapid, and perhaps intellectually stupid people.
CPME is a joke, investigate them on why they copy everything ACGME does and hold themselves as a point of authority. case in point: They approve a new Podiatry college , it is not needed with low applicant pool, the curriculums at the Podiatry colleges are all different. The 4th year rotations are lacking and sub standard. and Podiatry residencies make up surgical numbers to satisfy the numbers requirements. Need more examples of why CPME and Podiatry in general is a fragmented misaligned profession? The destiny for Podiatry has been written, its no where near Parity with MD and DO… Read more »
ENJOY THE $$$$$ YOU SAVE, “hate facts”, BY NOT BEING A MEMBER. If the APMA was really efficient and on a pathway to be accepted by the mainstream, then ok. But, they’re not and they really don’t want to be. Why should they make curricula harder when you just give them money to remain mediocre? Only the most arrogant deluded lifer can look a P.A. in the eye and not feel inferior.
Both groups fight one another and meanwhile Podiatry fades away….
That DPM is like a scar. Twenty, maybe thirty or so years on you think if fades…sort of goes away, you’re done with it, or thought all those years ago it was too-da-loo onto some other shit. And then some asshole out of nowhere reminds you” “Hey, you did that podiatry thing…” And the blood rushes out of your head, and that scar starts aching and no matter what you’ve done vanishes at the speed of foot. I’ve seen this shit, it’s nasty, and when you’ve finally settled into your career as an Elvis tribute artist in Reno that asshole… Read more »
Only Eddy can put it so humorously. Yes, nothing like hearing the word “PODIATRIST” when out in public. Brings on PTSD. I think of the T.B. bacillus encapsulated inertly in the lung. Ads for other meds say “tell your DR> if you ever had TB. Most pods don’t know the TB Bacillus is covered with a capsule called “WAX-D” and steroids or immune modulators can wake the sleeping beast. PODIATRIST IN THE HOUSE! “Break on out to the other side” (“The Door’s”)
Indoctrinated podupies can keep submitting “complaints” until the cows come home. $ CONsumes the shit show. No one has a shit to give abt podupetry. They do not care abt it-except dmps. No one knows what the f is going on with dp wtfs. dozens of different certifications, “boards”, etc. all a $ hu$tle, a racket for dues and fees pouring in. What else is new. This is NOT abt ‘quality’ ‘care’ etc. It’s abt Papa Dinero. They’re ‘deeply concerned’ about their wallets and want to be the only game in town for ABPS, or ABFAS, or ABPORNO, ABUTFKO, DFART,… Read more »
Take the jawsome boards – you’ll have a jawsome time!
They can keep submitting “complaints” until the cows come home. No one has a shit to give abt podupetry. They do not care abt it-except dmps. No one knows what the f is going on with dp wtfs. dozens of different certifications, “boards”, etc. all a $ hu$tle, a racket for dues and fees pouring in. What else is new. This is NOT abt ‘quality’ ‘care’ etc. It’s abt Papa Dinero. They’re ‘deeply concerned’ about their wallets and want to be the only game in town for ABPS, or ABFAS, or ABPORNO, ABUTFKO, DFART, Fellow-SILLYSHOEZ. ‘which is without recognition by… Read more »