Cert results
Started by PMG03470
New CBPS exam resulted in 3 weeks
Case review took 9 weeks from due date of submission for both foot/RRA
Case review took 9 weeks from due date of submission for both foot/RRA
Glad this is behind me. Biggest pain ever.
...Does anyone know if it costs more to renew board cert ABFAS for Foot ($440) vs renew for Foot + RRA?
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I thought you're RRA already. Sorry to see this!
Barely failed, would’ve passed if I documented patient satisfaction..are you kidding me???
If insurance companies don’t even care about documenting that, then why would I give af about putting it in my notes?
If insurance companies don’t even care about documenting that, then why would I give af about putting it in my notes?
What a grift ABFAS is....
and $4K to appeal? What an absolute money grabbing scam. I hate podiatry.
Yeah, that has to be new this year ... I remember nothing of it in years past.
It really is more of a test of charting/docu than xrays/results.
I would tend to think that if pts do 1 year or more f/u and do hwr with me that they were not unsatisfied? Lol.
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I always make sure to document that the patient is happy or unhappy with their results in post op progress notes as we all should in today's medical/legal climate. BUT, If I would have been failed for not including that- especially with something as hard to achieve as RRA, I would certainly appeal as there is absolutely no mention of requiring it that I can recall in the certification document.
If someone has a link or document that has “patient satisfaction” documentation as a requirement mentioned anywhere, that would be great
There has to be more than just patient satisfaction, what else you leaving out man?
So, I passed my RRA but failed my foot. 470/500. Dinged for patient satisfaction, Dinged presumably for not putting an ambulatory patient on blood thinners. Patient developed a DVT 6 weeks post metatarsal osteotomy.
Also heavily Dinged for a BL lakewater-contaminated open lisfranc fracture dislocation with cuneiforms also having been dislocated in opposite directions. Patient wanted to return home to the other side of the country for definitive care. I only did provisional pin fixation. They didn't like the look of my mini C intra-op films and I didn't get full post op films. Also didn't like my post op documentation. Patient was flying home the next day.
Also Dinged for not getting pre op films on a bunion. I mean, sure. But if they don't want the x-ray, how "medically necessary" is it?
Also heavily Dinged for a BL lakewater-contaminated open lisfranc fracture dislocation with cuneiforms also having been dislocated in opposite directions. Patient wanted to return home to the other side of the country for definitive care. I only did provisional pin fixation. They didn't like the look of my mini C intra-op films and I didn't get full post op films. Also didn't like my post op documentation. Patient was flying home the next day.
Also Dinged for not getting pre op films on a bunion. I mean, sure. But if they don't want the x-ray, how "medically necessary" is it?
Congrats all who passed!
This pt satisfaction grading point is a new issue, and I should know as it took me 3 years of trying. I do always ask patients at final follow up, "what % better do you feel?" Because pts who are 6 months out will tell you how their bunionectomy still has occasional twinge of pain, and if that's all you document then that's all the abfas will conclude you've done for them.
However if I left a pt feeling 80% better, would abfas deduct points for <100% improvement???
This pt satisfaction grading point is a new issue, and I should know as it took me 3 years of trying. I do always ask patients at final follow up, "what % better do you feel?" Because pts who are 6 months out will tell you how their bunionectomy still has occasional twinge of pain, and if that's all you document then that's all the abfas will conclude you've done for them.
However if I left a pt feeling 80% better, would abfas deduct points for <100% improvement???
Patient satisfaction should never be grounds for point deduction. The point of the case review is to evaluate your work up of a pathology, execution of surgery and management of the surgery or complications in the post op period.
Documentation on patient satisfaction for medico-legal reasons is outside the scope of the exam. It is beyond comprehension. It is hard to believe honestly. If you got dinged for this on multiple cases and that caused you to not pass this is grounds for a lawsuit.
Documentation on patient satisfaction for medico-legal reasons is outside the scope of the exam. It is beyond comprehension. It is hard to believe honestly. If you got dinged for this on multiple cases and that caused you to not pass this is grounds for a lawsuit.
Fortunately was able to pass 1st try. Agreed the satisfaction is BS. I add that because I figure it's nice CYA material. But had I failed based on that I'd be pissed. I never saw anything about that and I read and reread the instructions, PowerPoint, and examples. The instructions were crap. The process is so flawed.
I mean there’s no lawsuit here, but this is just more evidence on how dumb ABFAS is. You shouldn’t even lose points for a patient who is ambulatory post-op, with no risk factors and therefore no anti-coag, who gets a DVT, that gets caught and treated appropriately. You can literally follow standard of care and lose points on case review. Insanity. But losing points for not documenting how satisfied you left the patient…?…the grading system or the graders themselves are a joke. Thank god I don’t need their cert for anything at this point in my career.
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Always
Be
Failing,
A
Scam
Inconsistent as hell like usual. Looks like they're trying to drum up some more $$$ in this economy.
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Pre pods reading - do not let ABFAS brainwash you with their campus visits, fancy student testimonials. They will not help you in your career and will fail you 10 points shy. What a scammy POS
LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL
The fee remains the same if you add RRA. Just 2 tiers of certified and qualified fees. But who knows if they will change it.
Use the $4k to buy bonds, contribute to Roth, heck even buying a fancy smart fridge would yield better ROI.
Will be sending a letter to ABFAS to explain and prove that these patient satisfaction point deductions were even mentioned in their criteria. I suggest everyone do the same, otherwise this will keep happening.
If you're doing diabetic foot surgery you 100% should be able to get enough cases for certification. Hindfoot fusions/nails. Tendon transfers etc.
If the hospital don't care get abpm to start then assess your case load and see if you go abfas
It’s been mostly amps and I&Ds so far. A couple of tendon transfers and offloading surgeries. A few bunions and 1st MPJ fusions, etc. I’m still ramping up my patient load, currently about 15 patients a day on clinic days, though a couple usually no show. 1-3 cases a week on average.
1. There's plenty of time to get cases. Diabetics need 1st ray work too.
2. Start by simply knocking out CBPS as soon as possible. Don't wait 5 years to take CBPS, fail something and tell yourself you can't do it. Just immediately get the test taking part out of the way. Even if you fail it - immediately take it again at the next cycle. There is nothing that I am aware of stopping a 1st-2nd year attending from just taking the tests right away.
3. The longer you wait to sit for Case Review the more logging you have to do and the more likely there's a problem or an issue or something stupid along the way.
4. If you want it - just work like you are going to get it and you are putting the steps in.
5. I told myself a myriad of things ranging from "I don't need ABFAS" to "ABPM is fine - none of my hospitals care" to "I'll just get ABPM as a safety until I get ABFAS". I'm not going to bash on ABPM. There's nothing wrong with doing both but you will be setting yourself up for (a) more tests (b) more money (c) more yearly MOC/points/renewal dollars etc. You are semi-likely to also have to do the ACPM educational college thing where you may earn some of your MOC points if you also do ABPM. There's an additional cost associated with this, but its also I'm told a very affordable way to get CME.
6. Yes, ABPM additionally gives you the ability to say you are board certified (probably sooner). There are good people who've done both and maintain both.
7. I'm writing this somewhat as a - how to pursue this directly. If you do the me thing and are wishy washy - its just more work.
Not knocking ABPM. Have spent plenty of time making fun of ABFAS - especially the RRA rates. But if you want to be ABFAS - just pursue it. Read their rules. Do the work. Get it and be done. If you attempt to float back and forth and be indecisive you'll take longer and spend more money and have more hassle. And ABFAS truly is a lot of work to get. When you open that case review email - your life is about to be spoken for.
I literally did my case review and then did a Medicare audit the next week. Embrace the suck.
Then you are not being aggressive enough if you consider diabetic stuff just amps and incision and drainages.... And that's okay, it's part of the learning process.
You don't just amp a second toe anymore. It's a gastroc it's fixing the other toe deformities. Why did this happen how do you prevent other toes from going bad. Are you reacting or preventing.
Edit - it's TA tendon transfers after a partial 4th/5th ray amp causing lateral instability....ignore Feli and his diabetic stuff is 1st year cases
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Thats what diabetics need - new incisions and procedures so they can get infected and end up with a bka
MIS bro.
Gastroc recession, Keller, sesamoid planing, floating osteotomy--all doable MIS, and I've had more success than failures.
Tendon transfer/fusions and anything else requiring implants in a patient with HgA1c > 8 sounds dicey to me.
Tendon transfer/fusions and anything else requiring implants in a patient with HgA1c > 8 sounds dicey to me.
@Retrograde_Nail is doing ankle fusions, charcot recon all MIS.
It’s not dicey.
Everyone in the room knows these patients are gonna lose their leg if they’re not dealt with surgically for offloading or reconstructive surgery. But people like to hide behind an A1c.
If this is how you practice then do not do limb salvage surgery because you’re doing a grave disservice to the patient .
This is what bugs me about podiatry because we have so many different podiatrist. Who say they do Wound Care and limb salvage, but it really is just debridement and skin substitutes and no surgery because they are too afraid to operate if the A1C is not perfect.
Learn MIS
Everyone in the room knows these patients are gonna lose their leg if they’re not dealt with surgically for offloading or reconstructive surgery. But people like to hide behind an A1c.
If this is how you practice then do not do limb salvage surgery because you’re doing a grave disservice to the patient .
This is what bugs me about podiatry because we have so many different podiatrist. Who say they do Wound Care and limb salvage, but it really is just debridement and skin substitutes and no surgery because they are too afraid to operate if the A1C is not perfect.
Learn MIS
Thank you! I have felt this way since I finished residency, if they are going to lose their leg anyways you might as well do whatever you can to try and save it. If it doesn’t work they end up losing their leg anyways, but at least you tried. Just document the hell out of it and that you had this exact discussion with them!
You are going to get sued an incredible amount, and lose everytime. Diabetics love to blame everyone but themselves when things go wrong.
Their attorney will always have 10 experts to say "there was no need to operate on the calf" when the patient had a toe ulcer.
Document document document. Always have a in depth conversation. Leave no stone unturned. Thouroughly discuss the risks. Let the patient know "we are in limb salvage mode - this is risky but as is you are headed towards an amputation and I am trying to prevent this"
I have actually seen the exact opposite in my practice
So many people dont give them the time of day
When someone actually tries they see hope.
Present the literature to back up calf lengthening for forefoot ulcer.
Present the consent
Present the preop documentation on what I stated above.
No attorney will win that if youre documentation is in place.
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You are everything that is wrong with limb salvage podiatry
Read a book
Or do residency again
As others have mentioned - I’ve found my diabetic high risk patients to be very happy someone just wants to take an interest in actually helping them.
You are still a podiatrist and always will be one lmao
Except that's not real life.
Their gonna show a patient to a jury who has no idea what diabetic foot infections are, and will only see that the patient went in for a toe amp and you proposed 500 procedures to line your pockets.
Your insurance is going to want to settle ASAP.
It's not like a1c shows anything like compliance with treatment or ability to heal
Well, to be fair Ive never done a gastroc for a toe amp.
If you are inclined to perform surgery on patients with high A1c’s after you are board certified, then go for it. I think there is an argument to be made for it when it comes to limb salvage.
But I would not recommend those who are attempting to become certified with ABFAS to operate on patients with high A1c’s outside of an emergent case. Most definite way to fail.
Given that this thread is about ABFAS and got side tracked this is correct.
Also congrats to all who passed.
I wonder if you guys are arguing different things. There’s a difference between timing on when to operate on elective Charcot recon on a stable foot that has no wound but is preulcerative and a bit painful vs infected acute Charcot
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