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Took it today. What an absolute disaster of a test. For those who took it, what did you think of the multiple choice segment?
ABPM exam
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why is ABPM even relevant if ABFAS has secured monopoly over podiatry privileges in each state? In some states they do not even consider ABPM for surgical privileges because ABFAS somehow got it written into the state statutes. Podiatry is ridiculous.
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Cue Lee Rogers in 3....2.....1....
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Next time you are near a mirror, close your eyes and spin around three times while saying Lee Rogers name repeatedly. If you do this, after midnight on the third Tuesday of the month, he will appear in the mirror and answer questions regarding the ABPM.
(In his defense, I did talk to Dr. Rogers after one of his presentations and I found him to be a very personable and approachable. Additionally I do appreciate his contributions to our profession; lord knows if I had the success he has, I would disappear from the podiatry universe.)
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ABPM helps the first few years out so you can be "board certified" for insurances and basic hospital privileges. That is a plus since most insurances and CAQH don't seem to understand "BQ" from ABFAS... most MDs are either certified or not (usually their 'eligible' just means they finished a residency/fellowship in that specialty but haven't taken the cert test yet).
I agree ABPM alone won't do much at hospitals for F&A surgical privileges unless it's rural/small/govt hospitals or ASC who don't really understand our boards or will do anything just to bring in cases. General wisdom seems to be rolling with ABPM cert and ABFAS BQ early on, and then carry both certs later or drop ABPM later after getting ABFAS cert. That seems to be how the vast majority handle it. I tried to just use ABFAS BQ out of training but ended up taking ABPM after a year or two for the insurances reasoning.
Over 80% of DPMs will pass ABPM first try... the vast majority of those who flunk pass on re-take. Unless you really struggled in pod school, failed national boars, etc... you likely have nothing to worry about. ABFAS is another story.
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The exam is hot garbage, just like every other money sucking exam in this profession.
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The American board of multiple specialties including podiatric and lower limb surgical repair with advanced orthoplastic reconstruction is a 100 percent legit board. Just sent 1 BTC to some Nigerian dude.
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The Highlight of the test was the surprise twist with "Review questions" section. The instructions on the computer at the beginning specifically said you could go back and review questions, but the actual test decided that wasn't needed and just skipped on to the next section.... combined with the multple spelling errors I had, the test is the crowning achievement of TFP's and pOdamitry.
But... 100% I will advertise myself as "Board Certified" if I pass so whatever ;-)
But... 100% I will advertise myself as "Board Certified" if I pass so whatever ;-)
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Ah, you too realized that you needed to go back to one of the many stupid orthotic questions? "Oh no, actually for that patient I needed 15 layers of plastazote instead of 13 and actually I needed to set my Easy Bake Oven to 325F and not 350F to get a proper molding to address the peritalar subluxation."
...
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custom orthotics fabrication is useless. send them to hanger clinic. A million headaches eliminated
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It was ridiculous. We couldn’t flag questions and then revisit them. All the hours spent memorizing angles and they were all there anyway. Could’ve spend my time studying about the prostate haha
First of all, LMAO at some of these responses.
I do have to be honest that Podiatry is not the only profession with disaster board exams. I used to help with the Family Medicine exam years ago, and it was a hot mess. Don't even talk about Anesthesia boards...holy crap...It's basically like the Bar exam of medicine.
I do have to be honest that Podiatry is not the only profession with disaster board exams. I used to help with the Family Medicine exam years ago, and it was a hot mess. Don't even talk about Anesthesia boards...holy crap...It's basically like the Bar exam of medicine.
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So here's my weird thing - these processes have to keep getting better. When I took the absite or whatever our yearly residency boards were I thought - this is total hot garbage. Then I took ABFAS f/r as a 3rd year and - it was bad, but it was interestingly a step above any of the prior testing I'd taken up to that point. I'd read the complaints on here for years and honestly I thought they'd tried to resolve some of the issues. ie. no pictures or bad pictures.
Then I took ABPM like last year - and it was just awful awful awful. That said, I can use it to get priviledges for everything but ankle surgery so maybe I should shutup.
EDIT: checked my MOC. No junk additional money this year because I just passed. I guess that's something.
Then I took ABPM like last year - and it was just awful awful awful. That said, I can use it to get priviledges for everything but ankle surgery so maybe I should shutup.
EDIT: checked my MOC. No junk additional money this year because I just passed. I guess that's something.
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Was this ABFAS board qualifying exam?
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Yes, for the didactic portion of the foot exam. Total embarrassment to the profession. How do you screw up your profession' board qualifying exam by not attaching pictures?
It's not a total embarrassment for the profession. Just to the ABFAS. A total embarrassment to the profession would be if people who got audited ended up in jail for defrauding the Federal government. Oh wait...
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This is a total embarrassment because a lot of people were relying on their board qualifying board results to get privileges in a lot of states. States where ABPM is not recognized. This could cost a lot of people jobs. This is egregious.
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This is the most podiatry thing ever. I guarantee the person who made the rule that ABPM only allows you foot surgery privileges was another podiatrist who is ABFAS board certified. Has to be
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The saddest part is that no one is even surprised that this happens in podiatry.
It doesn't just happen in Podiatry. In 2020, the Bar exam for the State of PA was cancelled outright. Which meant that graduates had to wait a whole other year to sit for the exam. Which screwed the applicants out of a whole year of pay as a attorney rather than a legal secretary. Think about that for a moment.
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Nope it still just podiatry...
- On July 9, 2020, the Pennsylvania Board of Law Examiners announced that the in-person bar exam scheduled for September 9-10, 2020 (which was the rescheduled date for the exam that was to be administered in July) will not take place due to coronavirus concerns. Instead, the Board will administer a remote bar exam on October 5-7, 2020, which will consist of a 100-question multistate bar exam on October 6 and essay sections on October 5 and 7. In addition, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has approved a limited license program that allows July 2020 bar exam applicants to temporarily practice law under the supervision of an experienced lawyer.
- February 2021 Bar Exam: Remote.
One of the Judges that helps administer the Bar exam in PA is one of my patients. What you posted was the plan. It didn't quite work out that way. What they put together couldn't handle all the people from the previous year who failed the exam, and all the new people wanting to sit for the exam. Also, according to her, the limited license program had many issues and wasn't as successful as expected. Kind of like having to sit for exam and realizing that the pictures in the exam weren't included.
So yeah, it's not just Podiatry. It's funny to me how people continually think it's just Podiatry. This happens all the time in many other professions. You know how when you're growing up, and you do something idiotic, you think you're the only one that can do something so stupid? You're not. Chances are, you aren't the first person to do something like that, and won't be the last. Same thing here.
The World is full of bad situations and crap. Thinking it only happens to us is shallow.
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Its more that it's a national issue. there are over a million lawyers in the usa. we are ~15k? So with a board certification acting higher than the licensing and training is an issue. Also our issues are routed in every step of the way from schooling, licensure, residency, and surgical certification. Then it doesnt stop once youre out with reimbursement and insurance issues.
Every profession has its challenges. And they are mostly surmountable. If they aren't for an individual, they should consider another career path.
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Defending the board quality of podiatry is laughable. Please stop.
I'm not defending anything. People whining about this issue should stop. Does it suck? Yep. Is it the end of the world? Nope. Suck it up and move on. Adversity will present itself at every stage of your life. You can let it crush you, or move forward. Your choice.
AND, if you think it sucks so bad, how about you get involved, and work to change it? Instead of whining on an internet forum.
ALSO this "This crap only happens to us!!!" is utter BS. And thinking that is beyond childish. I'm pointing out that it happens in many professions. If you can't handle that, well, you need to grow up.
As someone else eluded to. Ask your favorite anesthesiologist how they feel about their board exams. If you want to listen to a good 15 minute rant just go ahead mid case and ask them. It gets extra salty. So I agree were not alone in terrible board exams.
I cant speak for ABPM but ABFAS was terribly written.
I cant speak for ABPM but ABFAS was terribly written.
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The whole exam cycle this year has been a hot mess. Both ABPM and ABFAS came up
with the same resolution though. Expedite scoring of the exams, and if you fail, offer you a free retake before the year ends.
with the same resolution though. Expedite scoring of the exams, and if you fail, offer you a free retake before the year ends.
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The anesthesiologist is mad because he took USMLE 1,2,3 which are all real tests with real quality. If his board is crap he at least knows real tests are possible. The podiatrists are pounding out $900-2000 dog turds every other year.
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I just love how as soon as ABFAS allowed in-training exams to be used for board qualification purposes, they added the stipulation that you have to pay $300 per exam, with 4 exams (2 didactic and 2 CBPS) for full qualification, to "convert" it for board qualification. So yeah, that's cool that I can take one less block of exams potentially, but they still bend you over for $300-$1200 for no real reason other than "conversion". Whatever the **** that is.
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On the other hand... at least the available wound care “boards” (most of them at least) are decently written, pretty straightforward and there are no hidden costs or other crap.
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You don't need wound care boards. Just read a book and don't be an idiot when doing wound care
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This is what the wound care franchises think who employ NPs that took a 1 week seminar on “wound care”. We all know the great work that they do…
I’m not saying that wound care is rocket surgery but does require some common sense.
IMO non surgeons should not be wound care providers.
You really have to understand whats going on under that wound and the only way to really understand is being a surgeon and opening these patients up on a routine basis.
That statement will ruffle some feathers but podiatry, general surgery, maybe ortho or derm should really be the only ones at a wound healing center. At least in my opinion.
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Good luck getting them in a wound care center…
I’ve helped our ortho with lower extremity wound care/grafts/flaps. They have zero interest in doing any of that themselves. It’s on to the next total knee.
I’ll edit your list, though I agree with it, to general surgery, podiatry, plastics, and derm.
Yeah. I agree. Hence the "maybe". They wont do it and I dont blame them.
Plastics deserves to be on the list
I don't understand this whole post. You don't need to be a surgeon to understand the basics of wound healing. You should be a surgeon to be doing debridements because of malpractice issues, but there are plenty of non-physicians out there who have a much better understanding of wounds than many surgeons I've met who claim to do "wound care". You also forgot to add in Vascular Surgery. I would not trust an Ortho or a Derm to do wound care. Many are just as clueless about wounds as your average PCP.
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Sure, but the biomechanics behind the reason for wounds is like voodoo magic to most wound care providers. Understanding bed sores or dehisced belly wounds is a lot different than understanding common foot ulcers. It's saddening to hear patients walk into my office and tell me how they have been treated for over a year for a hallux wound. Do a Keller, and the wound heals in two weeks. 5th met resection for those pesky 5th MPJ wounds that have been treated for months and months at wound care. I've done this so many times that the wound care center stopped sending me so many patients--they were losing patients and money!
I 100% agree with you, but that wasn't the gist of the post I was responding to.
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Gotcha, I interpreted it a different way I guess.
Vascular surgeons are technically specialised general surgeons but I agree.
If you cant debride a wound you shouldnt be doing wound care. Santyl only goes so far.
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Wound care is generally done by the dumbest tools in our profession (on average). Some are better than others, but it is quite basic...
If it's a pressure wound, offload with proper DME/insoles.... debride/abx/I&D or amp/recon as necessary.
If it's an arterial wound, consult vascular... prevent infection in the meantime.
If it's venous/lymph, compress and elevate... debride or abx as necessary.
If it's a trauma wound, irrigate + abx ... debride/close/stabilize as necessary.
...imaging, biopsy, and consults (ID, endo, nutrition, derm, plastics, etc) are never bad on any appropriate wound to pad the chart and look for advice.
I swear this gets shorter every time I type it since wound care is so basic. I have no idea how so many people make it so complicated with "advanced" topicals and bandages and biologics that have squat for EBM.
If it's a pressure wound, offload with proper DME/insoles.... debride/abx/I&D or amp/recon as necessary.
If it's an arterial wound, consult vascular... prevent infection in the meantime.
If it's venous/lymph, compress and elevate... debride or abx as necessary.
If it's a trauma wound, irrigate + abx ... debride/close/stabilize as necessary.
...imaging, biopsy, and consults (ID, endo, nutrition, derm, plastics, etc) are never bad on any appropriate wound to pad the chart and look for advice.
I swear this gets shorter every time I type it since wound care is so basic. I have no idea how so many people make it so complicated with "advanced" topicals and bandages and biologics that have squat for EBM.
I agree with all above.
The advanced biologics do have their place. Such as a chronic wound with small vessel disease with no vascular options. A dialysis patient with poor healing ability. An uncontrolled diabetic who shows up 30 min late EVERY visit with a 40oz 711 full on sugared soda (I have one now and its very frustrating) or XYZ.
But overall you are spot on IMO. Most wounds heal with pretty basic care.
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Agreed on advanced biologics - in specific scenarios. Isn't it amazing how we are all taught these grafts have magical growth/healing factors even after it has been sterilized, radiated, frozen, and radiated some more?
