Vision 2015 @prepodankle
http://www.apma.org/WorkingForYou/content.cfm?ItemNumber=4471
I can only provide general information here. If you want the inside scoop on the status of Vision 2015 you'll have to get it from a current APMA member, which would pretty much have to be a practicing podiatrist.
What exactly is it?
Vision 2015 is a mission set upon by the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) about 10 years ago. The goals can largely be placed under the umbrella of parity with MDs and DOs and include (1) that podiatrists are physicians, (2) that podiatrists should be allowed to practice to the full extent of their education and training, (3) that podiatrists should receive equal pay for equal work, etc. To achieve these goals many state laws would have to change, since the practice of medicine/podiatry is regulated by the states. State legislatures move slowly and laws are difficult to change which is probably the main reason Vision 2015 has not been accomplished yet. The APMA, Council on Podiatric Medical Education (CPME), American Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine (AACPM), and just about everybody else with a stake in the game had to come together to try to standardize the podiatric medical education, standardize residencies, standardize continuing education, et cetera since how can we expect a standardized national scope of practice if there is not standardized national education/training? That has been the primary argument of the orthopedic associations and medical associations that fight to limit the podiatric scope of practice—that podiatric education/training is sub par and highly variable—and so that is the argument that the APMA has been trying to undermine.
As a side note, Physical Therapy has/had a Vision 2020 which existed mostly to give patients direct access to physical therapists (e.g., ouch I twisted my ankle, I'm going straight to the physical therapist, no referral needed) in large part by making the physical therapy degree a Doctor of Physical Therapy instead of the Master Degree that it was previously. They've kinda given up on Vision 2020, although I think they're still working towards the underlying goals.
How does it benefit podiatrists?
Since the start of the project efforts have been made to improve and standardize the curriculums of the podiatric colleges, improve the quality of outside rotations (general surgery, vascular surgery, internal medicine, etc.), and improve the quality of residencies. This should all be of benefit to future podiatrists.
Currently there are only a few states that do not have ankle in their scope of practice, thanks in part to Vision 2015.
Currently almost half of all states legally recognize podiatrists as physicians, thanks in part to Vision 2015.
However, I've read that some of the older podiatrists are getting left behind because some of the deals that pods are making with states and hospitals is to allow the pods to have ankle privileges only if they meet certain certification or training requirements that the older pods cannot meet. In some cases this will reduce their scope or hurt their business.
Did it end since it's Vision 2015 and it's now 2016?
It was an ambitious mission for a 10 year period and was not accomplished in that time, but that doesn't mean anyone's giving up. There is still pay disparity in some states, still over half of all states do not recognize podiatrists as physicians, and still there are a few states which will not allow podiatrists to treat the ankle or leg. The groundwork has been laid though and I think what's left to do will simply require time more than anything. Time for newly trained podiatrists to outnumber older podiatrists and time for the medical community, the public, and the legislatures to learn and respect what a modern podiatrist is.
If it benefits then how likely would it be to happen in the near future?
If you go podiatry, you will already reap some of the benefits simply through the level of education and training you will receive. Besides that, Vision 2015 will push on and by the time you would get out of residency in another 7 or 8 years we will undoubtedly be closer to the end goals.
