Podiatry Surgery

[dapmp91]

I heard in order to get certified in Podiatric Surgery you must complete in addtion to a 3 year residency another 3 year certification, and I heard that the pass rate for certification in surgery is extremely low? do you guys have any information on what types of paths you can take that can certify you in surgery and stuff and how much your salary increases thanks

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[jonwill]

I heard in order to get certified in Podiatric Surgery you must complete in addtion to a 3 year residency another 3 year certification, and I heard that the pass rate for certification in surgery is extremely low? do you guys have any information on what types of paths you can take that can certify you in surgery and stuff and how much your salary increases thanks

All graduating students now do a 2 or 3 year surgical residency. The difference being that those who do a 2 year residency cannot become certified in rearfoot/reconstruction. After graduating from residency, you become board qualified. You are not certified but this doesn't at all mean that you can't do surgery. As long as you are qualified and freshly out of residency, you'll get privileges no problem. After you start practicing, you must start submitting cases that you do to the certifying board of your choice. The most popular one is the American College of Foot Ankle Surgery. There are a certain number of cases that you must submit before you can sit for your oral examination (while the written can be taken well before).

I have heard that the ACFAS oral examination has a low pass rate but I cannot confirm this. I will say that many in the profession feel that ACFAS is nothing more than a “good old boys” club. A fair amount of fellows (directors included) practice in states where they are not even allowed to do ankle surgery and these people are rearfoot/ankle certified. Some have stated that the oral and written exams are vague and that this tactic is used to allow the board to decide for themselves who becomes a fellow. But also keep in mind that until recently, only some received sound surgical training so this may just be sour grapes. However, as surgical training has been raised to a new level in recent years, I’d be willing to bet that a lot more doctors will become ACFAS fellows. Another complaint is the fact that in most specialties, doctors become certified within the first year of practice. No one is quite sure why it takes so long for podiatry. Anyway, long story short, I think that some things may be changing in the years to come concerning board certification. But if I’m assuming correctly, you are concerned that not being certified right out of residency will hurt you financially and that is not the case. You will become board QUALIFIED when you graduate from residency and that is sufficient for the time being.

Also, remember that there are other certification boards such as ACFOAM (American College of Foot and Ankle Orthopaedics and Medicine) in which you can certify instead. And honestly, I’m not quite sure why it matters under which board you are certified as long as you are certified (ie hospitals probably wouldn’t really care).

Sorry for the novel but it's complicated.

 

[dpmgrad]

All graduating students now do a 2 or 3 year surgical residency. The difference being that those who do a 2 year residency cannot become certified in rearfoot/reconstruction. After graduating from residency, you become board qualified. You are not certified but this doesn't at all mean that you can't do surgery. As long as you are qualified and freshly out of residency, you'll get privileges no problem. After you start practicing, you must start submitting cases that you do to the certifying board of your choice. The most popular one is the American College of Foot Ankle Surgery. There are a certain number of cases that you must submit before you can sit for your oral examination (while the written can be taken well before).

I have heard that the ACFAS oral examination has a low pass rate but I cannot confirm this. I will say that many in the profession feel that ACFAS is nothing more than a "good old boys" club. A fair amount of fellows (directors included) practice in states where they are not even allowed to do ankle surgery and these people are rearfoot/ankle certified. Some have stated that the oral and written exams are vague and that this tactic is used to allow the board to decide for themselves who becomes a fellow. But also keep in mind that until recently, only some received sound surgical training so this may just be sour grapes. However, as surgical training has been raised to a new level in recent years, I'd be willing to bet that a lot more doctors will become ACFAS fellows. Another complaint is the fact that in most specialties, doctors become certified within the first year of practice. No one is quite sure why it takes so long for podiatry. Anyway, long story short, I think that some things may be changing in the years to come concerning board certification. But if I'm assuming correctly, you are concerned that not being certified right out of residency will hurt you financially and that is not the case. You will become board QUALIFIED when you graduate from residency and that is sufficient for the time being.

Also, remember that there are other certification boards such as ACFOAM (American College of Foot and Ankle Orthopaedics and Medicine) in which you can certify instead. And honestly, I'm not quite sure why it matters under which board you are certified as long as you are certified (ie hospitals probably wouldn't really care).

Sorry for the novel but it's complicated.

If you do not mind, I would like to correct some of your statements.

Both ACFAS (American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons) and ACFAOM (American College of Foot and Ankle Orthopedics and Medicine) do NOT administer any board certification examinations. These are organization that a DPM can join after attaining Board Qualification or Board Certification status with one of the certifying Podiatry boards. Upon graduating from the PM&S-24 or PM&S-36 residency program, residents become eligible to sit in one of the board certification examinations offered by board certifying organization such as ABPS (American Board of Podiatric Surgery), ABPOPPM (American Board of Podiatric Orthopedic and Primary Podiatric Medicine), etc... When a candidate passes the written exam for ABPS, the candidate can apply for the Associate status with ACFAS. When a candidate passes the written and oral exams for ABPS and gains board certification status, the candidate can apply for Fellow status with ACFAS. ACFAS only recognizes the ABPS board certification exam and not the other podiatric surgical board exams. If a candidate passes the written exam for ABPOPPM, the candidate can apply for Associate status for ACFAOM. If the candidate passes both the written and oral exams for ABPOPPM, the candidate can apply for Fellow status with ACFAOM. ACFAOM only recognizes the ABPOPPM board certification exam.

When a resident graduates from a PM&S-24 or PM&S-36, it does NOT automatically make the graduate Board Qualified. Graduating residents from one of those residency models (or older podiatric surgical residency models) would only make the graduate "eligible" to take the ABPS board certification exam. In order for a residency graduate to become Board Qualified, the graduate needs to pass the written portion of the ABPS board exam. When the Board Qualified candidate amasses sufficient enough of cases to submit and passes the oral portion of the ABPS board exam, he / she will become Board Certified.

Lastly, a residency graduate of PM&S-24 or PM&S-36 programs usually can do surgery based on the credentialling criterias at the hospital or surgery center without board certification. Many of the hospitals and surgery centers required the residency graduate to be at least Board Qualified status in order to do any surgery. Hence, many hospitals and surgery centers would require the graduate to pass the written portion of the board certification exam. Of course, there will be hospitals and surgery centers that do not require board qualification status to do surgery.

I hope that this will clarify some things.

 

[jonwill]

If you do not mind, I would like to correct some of your statements.

Both ACFAS (American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons) and ACFAOM (American College of Foot and Ankle Orthopedics and Medicine) do NOT administer any board certification examinations. These are organization that a DPM can join after attaining Board Qualification or Board Certification status with one of the certifying Podiatry boards. Upon graduating from the PM&S-24 or PM&S-36 residency program, residents become eligible to sit in one of the board certification examinations offered by board certifying organization such as ABPS (American Board of Podiatric Surgery), ABPOPPM (American Board of Podiatric Orthopedic and Primary Podiatric Medicine), etc... When a candidate passes the written exam for ABPS, the candidate can apply for the Associate status with ACFAS. When a candidate passes the written and oral exams for ABPS and gains board certification status, the candidate can apply for Fellow status with ACFAS. ACFAS only recognizes the ABPS board certification exam and not the other podiatric surgical board exams. If a candidate passes the written exam for ABPOPPM, the candidate can apply for Associate status for ACFAOM. If the candidate passes both the written and oral exams for ABPOPPM, the candidate can apply for Fellow status with ACFAOM. ACFAOM only recognizes the ABPOPPM board certification exam.

When a resident graduates from a PM&S-24 or PM&S-36, it does NOT automatically make the graduate Board Qualified. Graduating residents from one of those residency models (or older podiatric surgical residency models) would only make the graduate "eligible" to take the ABPS board certification exam. In order for a residency graduate to become Board Qualified, the graduate needs to pass the written portion of the ABPS board exam. When the Board Qualified candidate amasses sufficient enough of cases to submit and passes the oral portion of the ABPS board exam, he / she will become Board Certified.

Lastly, a residency graduate of PM&S-24 or PM&S-36 programs usually can do surgery based on the credentialling criterias at the hospital or surgery center without board certification. Many of the hospitals and surgery centers required the residency graduate to be at least Board Qualified status in order to do any surgery. Hence, many hospitals and surgery centers would require the graduate to pass the written portion of the board certification exam. Of course, there will be hospitals and surgery centers that do not require board qualification status to do surgery.

I hope that this will clarify some things.

Thanks DPMGrad. This stuff is indeed confusing!

 

[Dr_Feelgood]

If you do not mind, I would like to correct some of your statements.

Both ACFAS (American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons) and ACFAOM (American College of Foot and Ankle Orthopedics and Medicine) do NOT administer any board certification examinations. These are organization that a DPM can join after attaining Board Qualification or Board Certification status with one of the certifying Podiatry boards. Upon graduating from the PM&S-24 or PM&S-36 residency program, residents become eligible to sit in one of the board certification examinations offered by board certifying organization such as ABPS (American Board of Podiatric Surgery), ABPOPPM (American Board of Podiatric Orthopedic and Primary Podiatric Medicine), etc... When a candidate passes the written exam for ABPS, the candidate can apply for the Associate status with ACFAS. When a candidate passes the written and oral exams for ABPS and gains board certification status, the candidate can apply for Fellow status with ACFAS. ACFAS only recognizes the ABPS board certification exam and not the other podiatric surgical board exams. If a candidate passes the written exam for ABPOPPM, the candidate can apply for Associate status for ACFAOM. If the candidate passes both the written and oral exams for ABPOPPM, the candidate can apply for Fellow status with ACFAOM. ACFAOM only recognizes the ABPOPPM board certification exam.

When a resident graduates from a PM&S-24 or PM&S-36, it does NOT automatically make the graduate Board Qualified. Graduating residents from one of those residency models (or older podiatric surgical residency models) would only make the graduate "eligible" to take the ABPS board certification exam. In order for a residency graduate to become Board Qualified, the graduate needs to pass the written portion of the ABPS board exam. When the Board Qualified candidate amasses sufficient enough of cases to submit and passes the oral portion of the ABPS board exam, he / she will become Board Certified.

Lastly, a residency graduate of PM&S-24 or PM&S-36 programs usually can do surgery based on the credentialling criterias at the hospital or surgery center without board certification. Many of the hospitals and surgery centers required the residency graduate to be at least Board Qualified status in order to do any surgery. Hence, many hospitals and surgery centers would require the graduate to pass the written portion of the board certification exam. Of course, there will be hospitals and surgery centers that do not require board qualification status to do surgery.

I hope that this will clarify some things.

Don't forget about the B.S. Board organizations like the American Board of Multiple Specialties in Podiatry (http://www.abmsp.org/). Where those you can't pass the ABPS go to become certified.