Recent Changes
Changes in education and the structure of podiatric postgraduate training programs could impact your current credentialing/privileging process.
Various designations of podiatric postgraduate training programs were approved by the Council on Podiatric Medical Education (CPME) including:
- Podiatric Medicine & Surgery (PM&S) 24 and 36 months
- Podiatric Surgery Residency (PSR) 12, 24, and 36 months
- Podiatric Orthopedic Residency (POR)
- Primary Podiatric Medicine Residency (PPMR)
- Rotating Podiatric Residency (RPR)
The standardized designation (since 2011) for all podiatric postgraduate training is the Podiatric Medicine and Surgery Residency (PMSR) and all residencies are 36 months in length.
NOTE: To be inclusive of the old residency designations for DPMs finishing before 2011, it is recommended that credentialing and privileging language be changed to reflect the evolution of podiatric postgraduate training.
ABPM standardized board status language for those who complete CPME-approved residencies to elimintate the status of Board Qualified.
Podiatrists who complete CPME-approved, 3-year residencies are now Board Eligible by ABPM for a period of eight (8) years from residency completion date. Board Eligibility status can be verified by ABPM.
Podiatrists can only be Board Certified in their primary specialty of podiatry by either ABPM or ABFAS.
ABPM now offers Certificates of Added Qualification in Amputation Prevention & Wound Care, Podiatric Sports Medicine, and Podiatric Surgery.
NOTE: The Certificate of Added Qualification (CAQ) is a special distinction created and issued solely by the ABPM to recognize a podiatric physician who has established additional competency beyond board certification in Amputation Prevention and Wound Care, Podiatric Surgery or Podiatric Sports Medicine.
Podiatry is a procedure-heavy specialty. Past privileging approaches are changing.
Suggested Action: Update the privileging form to reflect Core Privileges in Podiatric Medicine and Surgery. For recommended Core Privileging language, please see the document “A Guide to Credentialing and Privileging Doctors of Podiatric Medicine” distributed by the American Board of Podiatric Medicine.
Privileges were granted for each procedure by name or category. This was onerous, difficult for the medical staff office to verify experience, and has not improved patient safety.
Most hospitals have moved to Core Privileging of specialists.
Both of podiatry's CPME-recognized certifying boards have changed their names in recent years.
Suggested Action: To ensure accuracy, please update all hospital documents with the appropriate language below.
- The American Board of Podiatric Orthopedics and Primary Podiatric Medicine (ABPOPPM)
- The American Board of Podiatric Surgery (ABPS)
- The American Board of Podiatric Medicine (ABPM)
- The American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery (ABFAS)
While board certification is not required by CMS or TJC for staff membership or privileges, if the facility requires board certification, ensure the bylaws include both of the CPME-recognized specialty boards.
Suggested Action: Change language to the following:
Board certified or become board certified by a CPME-recognized board:
- American Board of Podiatric Medicine (ABPM)
- American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery (ABFAS)
A time limit of five (5) years is standard among hospitals who require board certification for specialty boards associated with the American Board of Multiple Specialties (ABMS).
The ABPM Board Certification Candidates are granted Board Eligible status for 8 years upon completion of an approved CPME residency. An additional 5 years of eligibility will be granted if certification is attempted but not achieved in the first 8 years. Candidates in this group must pass both sections of the Certification Exam in the same year to achieve certified status.
The ABFAS has no timeline for when a candidate must sit for part 1, but specifies that once board qualified, the process must be completed in seven (7) years