The Pathway to Certification

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ABPS certification ensures that board-certified surgeons have completed appropriate training, successfully performed a diverse range of podiatric surgical procedures, and passed our extensive written and oral examinations. The importance of board certification is reflected in trends by hospitals, surgicenters, managed care organizations, and insurance carriers to require specialty board certification. The following pages detail the necessary steps to become certified.

1: Education

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The first step toward certification is completion of a four-year doctoral training program at a podiatric medical college accredited by the Council on Podiatric Medical Education (CPME). There are currently eight colleges of podiatric medicine.

Colleges

The American Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine (AACPM) is a national educational organization that represents the eight U.S. colleges of podiatric medicine as well as over 200 hospitals and organizations that conduct graduate training in podiatric medicine. The Association serves as a national forum for the exchange of ideas, issues information and concerns relating to podiatric medical education.

CPME

The Council on Podiatric Medical Education (CPME) is an autonomous accrediting agency for podiatric medical education. Deriving its authority from the House of Delegates of the American Podiatric Medical Association, the Council is empowered to develop and adopt standards and policies as necessary for the implementation of all aspects of its accreditation, approval, and recognition purview.

• The accreditation of colleges of podiatric medicine, the approval of residency programs and sponsors of continuing education.
• The recognition of specialty certifying boards for podiatric medical practice.

2: Training

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Upon completion of a four-year doctoral training program, residency training is required to qualify for ABPS certification. Candidates must complete a minimum of two years of residency training in a program approved by the Council on Podiatric Medical Education (CPME). One of the two years of training must be in a CPME-approved podiatric surgical residency.

Candidates who attend a 24-month podiatric medicine and surgery (PM&S) program are eligible only for Certification in Foot Surgery. Candidates who attend a 36-month PM&S program are eligible for both Certification in Foot Surgery and Certification in Reconstructive Rearfoot/Ankle Surgery.

3: Clinical Experience

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Beginning January 1, 2009, candidates for board certification must log their surgical procedures in Podiatry Logging Service for Surgery (PLS). PLS is a free web application that allows the surgeon to easily enter procedures performed, select procedures for case credentialing, monitor and analyze types of procedures performed, assure compliance with diversity requirements for ABPS procedure submission, and download all data into a spreadsheet for further analysis.

4: Qualification

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To become Board Qualified in Foot Surgery, a candidate must complete the appropriate CPME-approved training program and pass Part I of the Certification in Foot Surgery Examination. Passing Part I and Part II of the Certification Examination in Foot Surgery is required to become Board Certified in Foot Surgery.

Candidates who complete a PSR-24 or PM&S-36 may take Part I of the Certification in Reconstructive Rearfoot/Ankle Surgery Examination. Board Qualified in Foot Surgery is a pre-requisite for Board Qualified in Reconstructive Rearfoot/Ankle Surgery. Passing Part I and Part II of the Certification in Reconstructive Rearfoot/Ankle Surgery is required to become Board Certified in Reconstructive Rearfoot/Ankle Surgery.

Board Qualified lasts for seven years.

5: Certification

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After passing Part I of the Certification Examination in Foot Surgery, candidates can become Board Certified by passing Part II of the Certification Examination in Foot Surgery. Certification indicates that a podiatrist has demonstrated a cognitive knowledge of podiatric surgery, including the diagnosis of general medical problems and surgical management of foot diseases, deformities, and/or trauma, and those structures which affect the foot and ankle.

Similarly, once a candidate has passed Part I of the Certification in Reconstructive Rearfoot/Ankle Surgery, they can become Board Certified by passing the Part II of the Certification in Reconstructive Rearfoot/Ankle Surgery Examination. This certification indicates that a podiatrist has demonstrated a cognitive knowledge of podiatric surgery, including the diagnosis of general medical problems and surgical management of foot diseases, deformities, and/or trauma, and those structures that affect the foot, ankle, and leg.

Board Certified in Foot Surgery is a pre-requisite for Board Certified in Reconstructive Rearfoot/Ankle Surgery.

6: Maintenence of Comp

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The abilities of ABPS members are assessed every ten years using a written examination. Members must also demonstrate current active surgical practice by submitting proof from a hospital or surgery center of active surgical privileges.

To give members adequate opportunity to recertify before their certification expires, they have a three year window in which to pass the examination. The examination may be taken in the eighth, ninth, or tenth year following the initial certification and, similarly, every ten years.

Members certified in both Foot Surgery and Reconstructive Rearfoot/Ankle (R/RA) Surgery must take both recertification examinations.