I offer my congratulations to CPME for making a
serious effort to birth new residency positions
for graduate podiatrists. I know this is not
easy, as I was once a residency director (for an
existing one) myself. But there is still the
issue of defunct programs. Even if you have been
in practice for years, and your
program/preceptorship no longer exists, you can
be seriously affected by this issue.
At the present time there is no mechanism for
dealing with defunct residencies/preceptorships.
Also, since some of these programs have been
historically run through the aegis of individual
podiatrists, some people have been DENIED their
certificate and have no possibility for redress.
Before you think that this can't happen to you,
I will give you just two scenarios that are not
hypothetical. They occurred to real people. The
first is where you practiced for 30 years, but
wish to semi retire in another state. Your
preceptorship was adequate to get you your
original license, but the doctor whom you served
it under is no longer alive. You never actually
got a certificate. You are then DENIED a license
in the other state where your adult daughter
lives, because you can't come up with "proof"
you ever took the program.
Another scenario occurred when the director of
the program you took was venal. Because of a
reason in your legal past, you were denied a
provisional resident state license, and never
received credit for the full year you served.
You have no redress. You can't sit for any Board
exams, and worse, may never get licensed as a
podiatrist because you need that certificate.
Some young doctors believe that our profession
still "eats its young." Ironically, that can
also occur to you if you are an established
doctor too, perhaps to your surprise.
The mechanism I propose to fix this issue is
simple: Request the state association where your
program occurred to provide you with
a "certificate of completion" that is acceptable
for Board exams and licensure. They can then do
their own "due diligence review of your
situation" before granting it. The two scenarios
I gave are not hypothetical. Worse, they could
happen to YOU too, say if your office burned
down and you can't replace your actual
certificate.
New residencies are vital. But we also need to
fix this other issue.
Michael M. Rosenblatt, DPM, San Jose, CA,
Rosey1@prodigy.net
