Forum Members ABFAS/ABPM

[newpodgrad]

Hey guys

While looking for jobs , I inquired with a few local hospitals about how to go about getting privileges.

Several of them sent me info and I wanted to highlight a board concern.

Not sure how to really take it, but here’s a excerpt from one of the docs re: board status.

“Board Certification Requirement means certification from one of the following boards: the American Board of Medical Specialties, the American Osteopathic Association, the American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery, or those Boards which may be approved by the Executive Committee to satisfy this Requirement”

As a disclaimer, I’m not a HUGE surgery pod. I enjoyed it , and did it in residency because, well, that’s what we had to do. And I’m fine with my forefoot procedures. I believe I’ve done well with them at my current level. I don’t care to do TARS, scopes mid foot fusions etc. I have no problem referring them out. I took the ABFAS qualifying tests etc, because again, it’s encouraged in residency and passed them.

Looking at this doc, it almost seems like this board required if you wanted to be on staff. The little statement at the end regarding “or those boards” seems like it might open the door for ABPM with some petitioning or something.

What do you guys make of this? I have heard from others that ABPM will get involved with issues regarding privileges etc. Is there more to this picture than meets the eye?

Thanks in advance for everyone’s take

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[Boba Foot]

Same stuff you studied all through pod school and residency: PI manual, maybe your surgery course info, McGlam, Coughlin and Mann, other textbooks and current journal articles and conferences.

I would ignore this. Will not help you pass unless you can memorize and retain encyclopedic amounts of material. Board Wizards was probably the best option, but it still missed alot of the material on RRA didactic. I think it needs to be updated more frequently. It was pretty solid on CBPS though.

The problem with RRA didactic is they come up with about 10 questions that many residencies do not train you on-- supramalleolar osteotomies, TARs, etc. They purposely do this so that the majority will fail and have to retake in the spring.

 

[Feli]

I would ignore this. Will not help you pass unless you can memorize and retain encyclopedic amounts of material. Board Wizards was probably the best option, but it still missed alot of the material on RRA didactic. I think it needs to be updated more frequently. It was pretty solid on CBPS though.

The problem with RRA didactic is they come up with about 10 questions that many residencies do not train you on-- supramalleolar osteotomies, TARs, etc. They purposely do this so that the majority will fail and have to retake in the spring.

I think PI manual is super high-yield for ABFAS.
It has great summaries of bugs and drugs, pre/post op complications and concerns, XR angles, AO principles, fracture classifications, general med, pharma, explains nearly all common surgery, skin and bone tumors, etc etc. It really doesn't get more high yield than that. It is cheap and perfect to review and refresh materials taught in past courses, residency, core F&A texts, etc. It can be read over in a couple of days, referred back to. It does need update with more TAR and newer implants and minor updates since last update (use texts and journals for that), but it's very good as-is.

The textbooks are more detail and more time reading, but they have the depth info and newer stuff also. Ideally they are read over years and years, obviously.

Journal articles, esp reviews and ACFAS CPG, are good for current practice standards (exactly what boards test) for various path... flat foot, HAV, DM foot, Achilles, heel pain, etc.

BoardWizards is good for sure (esp for CBPS format), but it's to quiz yourself on the material... not to teach/review the material. It can't be all you have for a fairly tough exam like ABFAS - unless you did amazing in school, did a good academic residency, and retained it all.

I would say it helps to have all: core knowledge from school + residency, self learn books/journals/manuals, and quiz leading up to exams. Jmo

 

[podourology]

I passed all but the RRA CBPS. Better than I expected with my lack of time. I just did BW. Should have finished all the cases, but I got lazy. So my fault.

 

[Vesalanium21]

Adding another data point

Passed all 4, used board wizards and Anki for studying. Did all cases multiple times and made it through the MC >2 times. Used the first pass as more of a content review, reading the associated articles/references for missed questions. Personally felt well prepared test day between my residency training and the content in board wizards.

 

[Feli]

Adding another data point

Passed all 4, used board wizards and Anki for studying. Did all cases multiple times and made it through the MC >2 times. Used the first pass as more of a content review, reading the associated articles/references for missed questions. Personally felt well prepared test day between my residency training and the content in board wizards.

I passed all but the RRA CBPS. Better than I expected with my lack of time. I just did BW. Should have finished all the cases, but I got lazy. So my fault.

Yes, this is the key.
BWizards is fine for good programs/students currently in residency (esp for those who did well on pgy1 and pgy2 ABFAS ITEs).
Most programs and residents have at least a few holes, so studying/reading as well as quizzing still helps.

Important note is that the review/refresh (manual, texts, journals, etc) gets much more important for anyone who re-takes (failed a part or the many ppl who had passed but had to pass the "new" CBPS later on years after training). Even a year or two out, the info becomes a lot more distant and typically needs to be refreshed. What works for a pgy3 (peak didactic knowledge of whole career span) is not what tends to work years later; BWizards alone is fairly likely to be inadequate there.

 

[PTPuser]

Adding another data point

Passed all 4, used board wizards and Anki for studying. Did all cases multiple times and made it through the MC >2 times. Used the first pass as more of a content review, reading the associated articles/references for missed questions. Personally felt well prepared test day between my residency training and the content in board wizards.

Congrats! Would you mind sharing your Anki decks? Thanks.

 

[DYK343]

Congrats on getting the hurtles over with.

A real question for those who just took it. Aside from CBPS (which you absolutely do need to study hard for) do you really think any of the material you studied was actually on the written test?

I felt the exam (i took 8-9 years ago..) was more broad knowledge and application than memorize and dump

My experience was if you kept up on reading journals through residency/had good academics in residency and stayed on top of articles over the years your chances of passing were quite high.

When I took it I was studying hard for it and when I finished the exam I felt nothing I studied was actually on there.

Its been awhile but I think I had 1-2 max fracture classification questions.

 

[PODIATRYCRAZE]

Just posting to expose the lie saying that ABFAS is required to do surgery.

 

[GreenHousePub]

View attachment 385596View attachment 385597
Just posting to expose the lie saying that ABFAS is required to do surgery.

Privileges and their requirements are different at each hospital.

 

[diabeticfootdr]

Privileges and their requirements are different at each hospital.

If anyone experiences an instance where ABPM is not accepted for all privileges, you can contact the board HQ and we have a committee and a privileging attorney that helps remedy that. We’ve been successful in nearly every case. I only recall 2 that we were unable to help, but there were other circumstances that hindered the podiatrist’s application.

We can’t fix a problem if there is not a complaint. So, please ask for help if you need it.

Also general advice:

1. Read and understand your medical staff bylaws and delineation of privileges (DOP) when you’re first appointed. There is a grace period for board certification (usually 5-7 years), but it’s easy to forget about that when you’re busy in practice. If the DOPs specify ABFAS only, you have 5-7 years to petition the medical staff office/privileging committee to change that. Better yet, volunteer to be on the Bylaws of Privileging Committee. No one wants to be on those committees. Then you can work to change it yourself.

2. Don’t agree to anything to get an extension without speaking to an attorney or ABPM first. It’s a nice thought to be accommodating and nice, but sometimes these agreements will hang you later.

3. Don’t get in big arguments about privileging criteria if you can’t make changes. Let a lawyer do that.

4. If the hospital recognizes ABPM and ABFAS and you already are ABPM certified, then you already meet the criteria and don’t tell the hospital you’re attempting ABFAS because they will just keep asking you about it and then if you don’t pass, they might take action.

5. If you have a choice in malpractice carriers … always PICA! PICA has a robust Administrative Defense Coverage and the others don’t. They may say they do, but if you read the policy, it is only coverage if you lose your license as a result of malpractice. PICA covers up to $100,000 and includes issues related to privileging. The ABPM works with PICA for their insured to challenge these privileging actions. It’s a case of you don’t need it until you do!