The DPM to DO program at NOVA will not allow you to become any specialty. It is a set program with a med school to 1 year internship program. To then change specialties and match an ortho, derm etc... residency you would have to take the USMLE for an allopathic residency or the COMLEX for an osteopathic residency. The last I heard the 1st 3 years of the DO program included a 2 year podiatry residency. It is clearly meant for 1st, the university to make money, 2nd, the practitioner created to then practice primary med/primary podiatry. It is not meant to expand your scope of practice for harvesting grafts... Hospitals do not just give out surgical priviledges. You have to have proof of formal training. Just because you have an unlimited scope due to the DO degree with out formal residency training in general surgery, plastic surgery, orthopedic surgery you will not be given priviledges to do procedures outside the podiatry scope.
As for the orthopedist harvesting iliac crest graft and treating complications - last I checked, the majority of orthopedists in the country do not treat pelvic fractures, lacerated organs, venous plexus injuries, pelvic abscesses... they will most likely refer almost all complications to a general surgeon anyway so that is not really a good excuse for why pods should not harvest their own crest. We put screws and half pins and wires up to the tibial tuberosity in some places even when scope of practice precludes treatment of tibial shaft fractures which can clearly be a complication. The tibial shaft fracture gets refered to ortho for treatment.
When ortho ORIF's a tibial shaft fracture that cannot be fixated with an IM nail and the wound won't close due to intra-operative swelling even though it has been 7-14 days post injury, does ortho do the muscle flap/free flap, skin graft to close the wound? No, they refer to plastics.
Complications happen with all procedures and just because it may still be in the foot does not mean that you learned how to handle it in your 3 short years of residency. If it is out of scope obvioulsy refer. If it is in your scope but you don't know what to do, go put your ego back in the closet and start calling for help either from other podiatrists or specialists in your area that may know how to help. This is not about you being able to do it all, it is about you helping the patient even if that means sending the patient somewhere else.
