ABPM 2024

[Podstar]

Just a little over a month out until the ABPM exam for this year. I registered since my hospital wanted me to be board certified ASAP out of residency even though I am BQ with ABFAS foot and RRA from the final year ITEs. Any recommendations for study material or advice? I still have access to the BoardsWizards ABPM multiple choice and cases from residency so I was planning to go through these some each night and then skim through pocket pod again. I know everyone says it is easy and it has a high pass rate, but don't want to take any chances on not passing with it being so expensive to sit for and my hospital paying for it. If you're taking it this go around let me know what you are using to prepare!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[DexterMorganSK]

Just a little over a month out until the ABPM exam for this year. I registered since my hospital wanted me to be board certified ASAP out of residency even though I am BQ with ABFAS foot and RRA from the final year ITEs. Any recommendations for study material or advice? I still have access to the BoardsWizards ABPM multiple choice and cases from residency so I was planning to go through these some each night and then skim through pocket pod again. I know everyone says it is easy and it has a high pass rate, but don't want to take any chances on not passing with it being so expensive to sit for and my hospital paying for it. If you're taking it this go around let me know what you are using to prepare!

This has helped ppl taking the exam in the past. But with the mentioned resources you will pass. Good luck!

Publications - The American College of Podiatric Medicine

 

[PODIATRYCRAZE]

This post should be highlighted and read by all residents. As seen above, hospitals want and accept ABPM. I would also like to remind that Podstar has an excellent job.

The pass rate for ABPM is around 90%, on par with almost every single other medical and surgical specialty. https://www.abim.org/Media/yeqiumdc/certification-pass-rates.pdf

The only resource I will be using is board vitals. I take it in October with you. Hopefully that is sufficient. If you need access let me know.

 

[deleted285117]

Look into the ACPM's Review Text... we called it the "pink book" in school but it's now green. Has lots of good gen med review 🙂

 

[air bud]

Just a little over a month out until the ABPM exam for this year. I registered since my hospital wanted me to be board certified ASAP out of residency even though I am BQ with ABFAS foot and RRA from the final year ITEs. Any recommendations for study material or advice? I still have access to the BoardsWizards ABPM multiple choice and cases from residency so I was planning to go through these some each night and then skim through pocket pod again. I know everyone says it is easy and it has a high pass rate, but don't want to take any chances on not passing with it being so expensive to sit for and my hospital paying for it. If you're taking it this go around let me know what you are using to prepare!

That's crazy never heard wanting board certified right away. Abpm is for the birds

 

[Podstar]

That's crazy never heard wanting board certified right away. Abpm is for the birds

Yeah I thought so too. I think they just want to be able to market and advertise me as board certified. They’re paying for the exam and all my dues (ACFAS, ABFAS, and ABPM) so I said fine.

 

[Feli]

Yeah I thought so too. I think they just want to be able to market and advertise me as board certified. They’re paying for the exam and all my dues (ACFAS, ABFAS, and ABPM) so I said fine.

It's mainly for signing you up for a few insurance plans. Some are easier or quicker with BC. (I did ABPM for same reason)

MD/DOs with ABMS boards don't really have 'board qualified' (and definitely not for long), so insurances - and some facilities - don't tend to understand it. They usually just have board cert... and occasionally 'board eligible.'

 

[deleted1162946]

Thought it was surprisingly difficult. Anyone know the pass rate for this? Or how scores are calculated? Not much info online

 

[deleted285117]

Thought it was surprisingly difficult. Anyone know the pass rate for this? Or how scores are calculated? Not much info online

High 80's/low 90's I believe.

 

[diabeticfootdr]

Yes. That’s typical, but last couple years was mid 80s.

 

[Feli]

Thought it was surprisingly difficult. Anyone know the pass rate for this? Or how scores are calculated? Not much info online

You are fine. Two reasons:

Just remember who you are testing with: a few ppl like OP who want BC right away before they can get ABFAS... but mostly ppl who can't pass ABFAS. ABPM is like testing against the bottom half of your pod class (and curved appropriately so)... you will pass fine.

I still have never met anyone irl who has failed ABPM. No joke. I do not believe their pass rates... I think it is 99% or more in reality.
You will also see how bad and pathetic they claw and dig and threaten and hold to you when you try to let the ABPM membership lapse. They are a dysfunctional organization desperate for power (hence the walkout) and desperate for numbers/members.

 

[shadesofgrey]

I still have never met anyone irl who has failed ABPM. No joke. I do not believe their pass rates... I think it is 99% or more in reality.
You will also see how bad and pathetic they claw and dig and threaten and hold to you when you try to let the ABPM membership lapse. They are a dysfunctional organization desperate for power (hence the walkout) and desperate for numbers/members.

I personally know two pods who failed several times before passing. They are both nursing home docs now. One hates the profession, as he has been screwed over numerous times by predatory PP pods, residency training, and ROI. The other is surprisingly happy, but he never liked surgery anyway and just seems happy to not have any stressful patients. I have no idea how their backs can take doing that day in and day out.

 

[bloxxeeey]

Thought it was surprisingly difficult. Anyone know the pass rate for this? Or how scores are calculated? Not much info online

Was planning on taking it this year but being BQ was enough where I am. I decided to do it next year just to have it and give myself a break from studying. How is their outline for it? What did you use to study?

 

[deleted1162946]

kind of weird that there’s still not results, no? website says 6-8 weeks. today is 8 weeks exact.

 

[wakaflocka88]

kind of weird that there’s still not results, no? website says 6-8 weeks. today is 8 weeks exact.

Takes time to allow secret retakes to ensure a 90%+ pass rate

 

[deleted1162946]

Takes time to allow secret retakes to ensure a 90%+ pass rate

Can we wait until I see that I passed before you entice Rodgers to fail more people thanks

 

[diabeticfootdr]

kind of weird that there’s still not results, no? website says 6-8 weeks. today is 8 weeks exact.

We have our BOD meeting tomorrow, cut scores have to be voted on and passed by the BOD. The exams get scored pretty quickly, then the psychometrists analyze items that don't perform well, and make recommendations on those items. Then the new cut score is proposed, but sometimes there are items that are not so straightforward. For example, when some questions perform well in those that fail the exam but perform poorly in those that pass, it has to be looked at. And sometimes there's an issue with a digital asset, like if an x-ray image was grainy. So those have to be reviewed by the exam committee and then proposed to the BOD to keep it or exclude it.

That being said, I haven't heard anything about the exam out of the ordinary this year except the hurricane disrupted some candidates, but they were all re-accommodated, which may account for more time.

If there is anything but a normal vote tomorrow which would result in a delay ... I'll make sure we inform everyone, but I don't expect anything.

 

[deleted1162946]

Passed 😎

Results should be out

 

[Podstar]

I passed also. I will say I did think the exam was more challenging than I was expecting it to be.

 

[deleted1162946]

I passed also. I will say I did think the exam was more challenging than I was expecting it to be.

Yeah it was. Also was better written than Abfas, but not as difficult

 

[diabeticfootdr]

Yeah it was. Also was better written than Abfas, but not as difficult

Or maybe it’s just based on information you learned in your training from the curriculum …

 

[bloxxeeey]

I know we tout ABFAS as the gold standard for podiatry but now that I'm in practice I think I use the ABPM material much more than the ABFAS material. I am ABFAS qualified but will do the ABPM next year. Neither board is perfect however. I think going forward I'd prefer if ABPM started including more surgical sections or info but not to the absolute uselessness of ABFAS.

 

[Adam Smasher]

First off I don't support either board, I'm certified by both, but I think they both exist to extract dues money from hard-working dpms who just want to help their patients.

ABFAS served an important role maybe 30 years ago when it was a big deal for a podiatrist to fix a hammertoe and it wasn't guaranteed that that person knew how to gown and glove or prescribe abx correctly. So they helped change the curriculum at the school/residency level so we could at least get privileges at facilities.

Nowadays ABFAS seems like the board for some of us while ABPM is the board for all of us. I've always liked APBM's advocacy. The ABPM exam seems easy because it covers topics all pods do day-to-day not just the fellowship trainees. And also podiatry is just not that hard to begin with. Frankly it's annoying that the test includes random irrelevant internal medicine questions just to be artificially difficult.

I always thought anyone who paid attention during residency should pass ABPM, and most of us do, so most of us pass, because most of us care about our patients.

 

[bloxxeeey]

First off I don't support either board, I'm certified by both, but I think they both exist to extract dues money from hard-working dpms who just want to help their patients.

ABFAS served an important role maybe 30 years ago when it was a big deal for a podiatrist to fix a hammertoe and it wasn't guaranteed that that person knew how to gown and glove or prescribe abx correctly. So they helped change the curriculum at the school/residency level so we could at least get privileges at facilities.

Nowadays ABFAS seems like the board for some of us while ABPM is the board for all of us. I've always liked APBM's advocacy. The ABPM exam seems easy because it covers topics all pods do day-to-day not just the fellowship trainees. And also podiatry is just not that hard to begin with. Frankly it's annoying that the test includes random irrelevant internal medicine questions just to be artificially difficult.

I always thought anyone who paid attention during residency should pass ABPM, and most of us do, so most of us pass, because most of us care about our patients.

This is a great way to sum it up.

I work very closely with a large hospitalist group next door, although I'm private practice we share a lot of patients and having the knowledge of a good amount of internal medicine has been helpful. I really couldn't believe it but it does help me, I thought it was completely useless before this though. Knowing CKD, good amount of DM, osteoporosis treatments, rheumatoid arthritis etc helped me a ton.

The fact that you have something like ABFAS that really doesn't target common things we see like skin lesions, wounds, basic biomechanics etc is really a disservice. Coming out of residency, I was more scared of a patient asking me "What's that spot on my foot" than a calc fracture walking through my door, and one of those is much more common than the other.

However, I'm glad I feel confident surgically coming out of residency and that is preferable to the situation where you have exceptional clinical skill but lackluster surgical skills.

We really need one board, the fact that I could spend more on my board exams this year than my car payments is absolute insanity.

 

[Feli]

The reason ABFAS doesn't test much/any student level knowledge is because all podiatry residencies are SURGICAL... and it has been that way for 20+ years now. It's a test done after residency. They do test imaging, labs, consults, etc as they pertain to hospital podiatry and surgical podiatry.

As for the easy stuff derm biomech wound radio pharma sports med dme etc, that was alllll already tested Apmle pt1, pt2, and pt3... why keep testing it after podiatry school is over? (answer: to have an alternate board make $$$ and have "power", and for people who can't pass a surgical board after doing "surgical" residency to still be "board certified") ... Regardless, that stuff is podiatry school level knowledge; it's not residency level. It has already been asked and answered many times. ABPM is a board that is done after residency and requires residency... yet it tests student-level knowledge.... hence the virtually 100% pass rate and the fact that it's an alternate board.

...as for "What's the spot on my foot" versus calc fx surgery? I think we all know any DPM who made it through training and boards for the latter can do the former. Skin lesions are podiatry student level knowledge. PCPs and even NPs with no residency specific to the foot can do them. Not so for the latter pathology. 😉

 

[Retrograde_Nail]

Or maybe it’s just based on information you learned in your training from the curriculum …

If you went to a real podiatry residency program that meets the bare minimum education, clinical and OR experience you should be able to pass ABFAS. No problem.

ABPM's main purpose is to pass as many podiatrists as possible so they can meet the board certified criteria for privileges and insurance panels. ABPM has always been the people's board because it allows them to practice. Podiatrists of all degrees of residency training, experience, intelligence can pass it. That's why it really has so much support from the profession.

The same can't be said for ABFAS which has serious flaws of its own. It's a crappy test. Poorly written, etc etc etc. But it still tests things you should have been exposed to in residency training. Saying it does not is a flat out lie.

 

[Hybrocure]

If you went to a real podiatry residency program that meets the bare minimum education, clinical and OR experience you should be able to pass ABFAS. No problem.

That’s like 8 programs

 

[Feli]

That’s like 8 programs

It's a bit more than that... roughly the top third of pod residency programs/spots have good training and surgery volume (with the next third adequate), but our residency quality and standardization is still a huge problem. That is worsened with fellowship cases largely removed from many residencies. All residency programs have access to books and journals, but some do more academics and just get better podiatry grads in match. That is fully evident by ABFAS qual pass rates from podiatry residency program to program. No we have "fellowship trained foot and ankle surgeon" grads who can't pass ABFAS too... happy day. The lack of standardized DPM training and competency has been, and will continue to be, podiatry's downfall and major frustration ("everyone gets to be a surgeon"... yet nowhere near enough need or good residencies or good jobs). Regardless...

• ABPM tests podiatry student level stuff: buzz words, derm, wound care, dme/biomech, etc (same as APMLE pt 1,2,3). It's a joke... a formality.
• ABFAS tests what [should be] standard for podiatry surgery residencies: peri op, indications, complications, surgical case workups. It's reasonably hard, requires study for board qual. Cert requires logging and review of your own cases (like any MD surgeon specialty board does).

ABPM exam process would be like if orthopedics and cardiology and oncology or plastic surgery MDs were, at the end of residency/fellowship, tested again on USMLE general med info they'd already passed as a med student (pre-residency)... yet it counted for their specialty boards. It just makes very little sense given the residency (+/- fellowship) model/curriculum to test at such a basic level... but that's what ABPM's aiming for. They want an easy exam that's just an alternate podiatry board and a certificate for $$$ in return. That is all fine and good, but it does basically nothing for setting one apart for most jobs. It's universally known ABPM is a bar everyone steps, not jumps, over. The hope is that maybe a hospital admin or HR person or MSG manager doing interviewing won't know that. ABPOPPM was serving the same role before the name change and more marketing of it and re-branding. It'll remain popular for reasons stated above (basic alternate "board cert"), and the fact that a lot of our podiatry residencies will have high ABFAS fail rate.

There is also the ABFAS board cert issue that with the saturation and job changes for many DPMs early out of training; it can be hard to get enough surgery cases (esp RRA) in many job setups to sit for that cert. ABPM skirts that as there is no case review at all (how would you review "cases" from stuff any pod student should know and be able to do and already had checked off back in school and clerkships?).

Be things as they may, everyone knew 20+ years ago - and knows now - that ABPOPPM (now ABPM) is the alternate board. It's easier to pass if a DPM is undertrained. It's a lower bar; it needs less study. People viewed ABPS (now ABFAS) as too hard. People like the alternate board because it's easier:

 

[Adam Smasher]

roughly the top third of pod residency programs/spots have good training and surgery volume (with the next third adequate), but our residency quality and standardization is still a huge problem.

I don't disagree, but what is this good-adequate-bad 3-way division based on? For example I've seen commenters here crap on the Medstar program in Washington, but I have personally known some intelligent alumni with successful careers.

My only point here is if we're going to criticize podiatry and want to effect meaningful change, the criticism should be data-driven and not broad-side attacks

 

[Feli]

...if we're going to criticize podiatry and want to effect meaningful change, the criticism should be data-driven and not broad-side attacks

Yes, all podiatry surgical residencies should have to provide ABFAS qual/cert pass rates for recent grads.
(ABPM pass rates would be pointless... most are 100% pass on that or don't take it in favor of just taking ABFAS).
And better yet, ABFAS should provide the pass rates... as opposed to trusting the programs.

That sounds crazy, but it's actually exactly what MD residency programs do. MS4s going to match have that info.
It's not perfect, but it gives students a good indicator of program recent results and academics going into match.
The ACGME also has the info (to factor for re-accredit programs or close/probation/shrink them).
And the specialty MD board pass rates for the residencies are actually published by the ABMS boards. That is the way it should be (so the residencies can't fudge pass rates... as the schools try to twist pass numbers for USMLE/APMLE to attract pre meds/pods).

...Podiatry won't do that level of transparency... we can't. It would help students a lot since podiatry residencies are anywhere from great to nearly worthless, but it just won't happen. Leadership wants to keep podiatry NYC and VA program$ and office-based residencie$ that do nails/wounds 4 days a week and a couple amps or hammertoes on Fridays open and accredited... they need those so that we have "surgical residency" spots for grad$. It's done so that we can open more $chool$ and $eat$. And logically, we need an easy alternate podiatry board for those DPMs who fail the appropriate ABFAS.*

*which is funny/sad, as you see linked above that general surgery cert exam pass rate is FAR from the 90%+ that ABPM always calls "normal"... yet those general, ortho, plastic, etc MD surgeons have no easy bail out board. Podiatry is unique in having an alternate "approved" board.

 

[MicroPod]

I passed ABFAS foot exams despite not studying for them. Did not pass the Rearfoot didactic but did pass the Rearfoot CBPS just by following a certain SDN posters advice. For now I’m planning to try for ABFAS foot cert only. I have no real desire to try for the Rearfoot at this point.

Thing is that I had no incentive to study really because I knew I could just pass ABPM if I didn’t pass ABFAS. I’m planning to work for a community hospital who doesn’t care or know what certifications are for podiatry anyways.

 

[Hybrocure]

I think the problem with ABFAS rearfoot is we all test for it but the average podiatrist rarely meets the numbers for it. If any. Too many residents worry about failing it and the reality is nobody is walking into your PP job with a pilon

(Hospital employed podiatrist rebuttals to follow)

 

[deleted1162946]

I think the problem with ABFAS rearfoot is we all test for it but the average podiatrist rarely meets the numbers for it. If any. Too many residents worry about failing it and the reality is nobody is walking into your PP job with a pilon

(Hospital employed podiatrist rebuttals to follow)

Most hospital employed podiatrists aren’t getting trauma call anyways I feel.

 

[Retrograde_Nail]

Most hospital employed podiatrists aren’t getting trauma call anyways I feel.

How you do you know that to make that statement?

Defined trauma call? Most likely not. But getting trauma from ortho that they don't want? Yes absolutely. I've always gotten trauma nobody wanted to touch wherever I have been.

 

[deleted1162946]

How you do you know that to make that statement?

Defined trauma call? Most likely not. But getting trauma from ortho that they don't want? Yes absolutely. I've always gotten trauma nobody wanted to touch wherever I have been.

Yeah it usually goes through ortho first and then they decide “give to podiatry” when it’s >13 a1c 350 lbs

 

[MicroPod]

Yeah it usually goes through ortho first and then they decide “give to podiatry” when it’s >13 a1c 350 lbs

Then they do studies on podiatrist having worse surgical outcomes lol.

 

[PODIATRYCRAZE]

General surgery exam pass rates.
I would say 89-95% is a good goal to aim for.

 

[Sole Badguy]

IMO, ABPM tests on what most practicing podiatrists will see in a great majority of patient encounters. And this may come as a shock to some posters here, but it does test surgical concepts/procedures. It's a practical board to confirm understanding of podiatry as most will practice it (as any medical board should), and feels reflective of podiatry as it is perceived by most hospital systems. Yes, they lack confirmation of surgical adequacy compared to ABFAS especially for more involved recon, but the kinds of surgical procedures that most medical settings expect podiatry to perform at the bare minimum (I&Ds, amputations, osteotomies, hammertoes and bunion electives) are not overtly difficult and is probably the majority of procedures done through residency so there's an implicit expertise through repetition that can be confirmed through residency case logs at the least.

Some food for thought: interventional cardiology does some pretty invasive procedures (not surgery though, technically speaking...although I think some will fight you if you say that), and from what I've read doesn't require case review for their board certification in the traditional sense; aside from the board exam, they need confirmation that procedures were done via case logs and program director attestation. A similar certification process is present for dermatologists who subspecialize in Mohs. Sounds familiar - so there are some MD/DO-based pathways that ABPM is emulating. Not 100% of course - it's 3 years of IM, 3 years general cardiology, and 1 year interventional cardiology fellowship - but it shouldn't 100% match either; we specialize early, and I don't think there's that much podiatry material to stretch out over 7 years.

 

[Feli]

... interventional cardiology ... similar certification process is present for dermatologists ...

Most interventional cardiology and dermatology docs didn't score 10th or 20th or 25th percentile on the MCAT.
Most derm and cardio docs were more like 90th, 95th, 98th percentile MCAT (since average for all MD students is over 80th percentile for US schools).

Podiatry school on the whole averages under 30th percentile MCAT results year after year. 😉

When giving "board certification" for procedures to grads - esp grads with very low end stats going in, it's really not unreasonable to ask for logs, review cases, have a reasonably hard exam in order to verify training and competence. There is not a single MD specialty that does OR surgery that does not do all of that, even though their grads were already vetted at many levels podiatry is not (undergrad, Mcat, Usmle, ACGME match). 🙂

Podiatry always has, and probably always will, have an alternate board since our training quality is so varied. Residencies are too varied and DPM student/grad aptitude is too variable also. But to lower the testing/standards bar for all DPMs and try to find exceptions and loopholes is not the answer (that only works for the alternate board).

 

[diabeticfootdr]

Podiatry always has, and probably always will, have an alternate board since our training quality is so varied. Residencies are too varied and DPM student/grad aptitude is too variable also. But to lower the testing/standards bar for all DPMs and try to find exceptions and loopholes is not the answer (that only works for the alternate board).

No one has ever said, "let's lower the standards". What I've said consistently is, "let's have the certification standards match the residency curriculum."

I also think taking 6 tests to become fully certified in your residency training is excessive and not like any other specialty.

An "alternative" board indicates one not recognized by the profession (or a member board of ABMS). ABPM and ABFAS are both recognized by the SBRC of CPME. But this "alternative" board you describe was good enough for you while you spent a decade trying to pass ABFAS, and only now, since you finally have that new large plume sticking out of your fedora, have you sharpened your elitist tongue.

 

[deleted1162946]

Just merge the boards and be done with it. Our profession is so dumb.

 

[dtrack22]

There is not a single MD specialty that does OR surgery that does not do all of that,

There is also no other MD/DO specialty that does OR surgery and has a certification process that looks anything like ABFAS’ either...

 

[icebreaker32]

Are we a surgical specialty and do we want only want one board? Do we want that one board to be a surgical board?

Surgical specialty boards require surgical privileges and/or case logs for maintenance of certification. ABPM does not require this because it is not a surgical board. It represents non surgical podiatrists also. It is good enough at most hospitals for surgical privileges now that our residencies are “standardized” if they require board certification. ABFAS does leave too many podiatrists behind (why exactly this is up for debate).

If we agree podiatry is a surgical specialty we could merge the boards or drop ABPM. Obviously not having ABPM would leave more without out board certification even if the ABFAS process was simplified. Adding a CAQ for surgery but not requiring surgical privileges for board certification is not how surgical boards work (they sometimes do allow for one to have a non surgical designation at end of career if they have already achieved board certification and are in good standing, but this is very much the exception).

Also if the boards merged I am sure it would somehow offer all sorts of different designations that most boards do not do in way that only podiatry could do. Our surgical boards already offer two different designations as it is.

We also have a fellowship problem that could soon develop.

I do not care which way this profession goes. What I want is more good jobs in our profession and less people competing for each of those jobs. Good training and making sure we do not have saturation is what matters most for this, not how we tweak our board certification process.