This is much like the Vietnam War and many other proxy wars of the 20th century between the US and the USSR. Instead of a head-to-head conflict, the ABPM and ABFAS are angling in the affairs of CPME to enhance/maintain their respective spheres of influence. However, whereas the Vietnam War was tragic, what we are seeing now, this is just amusing and silly, like 2 dogs pulling on the same squeaky toy.
For what it's worth, I support increased APMA oversight into CPME if it means APMA will have some accountability over things like approvibg unnecessary schools and the ensuing residency shortages.
I think the Vietnam analogy is pretty spot on. The only difference is that in this version, the same army is fighting itself while wearing identical uniforms and arguing over who gets to carry the scalpel after doing three years in the OR.
ABFAS and ABPM both claim to represent podiatry, but they’ve built completely different systems around the same degree, the same residency model, and the same group of students. Meanwhile, the rest of us are just standing around like, “who tf is actually in charge here?”
The bigger issue isn’t just turf or politics. It’s an identity crisis. Nobody really knows what being a DPM means anymore. Are we all surgeons? Are we all medicine docs? Why are we trained in both but then told to “pick a lane” based on which board certifies us? And how is any of that supposed to make sense to hospitals, patients, or anyone outside the profession?
From the outside, podiatry looks unified. From the inside, it feels like we’re all playing in different leagues while wearing the same jersey. It’s a fragmented system. The whole “ABFAS equals surgery” and “ABPM equals medicine” thing doesn’t really hold up when ABPM-certified docs are scrubbing into OR cases and some ABFAS diplomates haven’t operated in years.
I don’t think more oversight is the main solution. What we really need is structure. Something that matches how we train, how we actually practice, and what hospitals and patients need to understand. Right now it feels like we’re forcing modern podiatry into a framework from 30 years ago. Like duct tape on a cracked foundation.
Is there a real path forward, or are we just going to keep looping this same debate until med influencers and Gen Z podiatrists start making TikToks about it?
