In an answer to certain of the concerns about
the Residency Shortage raised in the letter from
Dr. Arnold, I direct PM News readers to
Resolution 13-13
(http://www.apma.org/files/secure/index.cfm?
FileID=22091)presented to the March 2013 APMA
House of Delegates by the Pennsylvania Podiatric
Medical Association and seconded by the New
Jersey State Podiatric Medical Association. This
Resolution is on the APMA website and it
contains the most up to date facts concerning
residency development that we could determine.
If the current programs in development are
authorized, we are told that will have a
sufficient number of first year residency
positions within 12 to 18 months. That period of
development, however, will cause there to be
well over one hundred prior graduates who are
not matched.
The purpose of this Resolution was to foster the
development of educational opportunities which
would keep those hundred plus graduates involved
in podiatric education until they can match.
This Resolution calls upon all stakeholders in
this profession to contribute to this effort to
create opportunities for these graduates. We
need the APMA to publicize this effort, we need
the AACPM and the CPME to define the
requirements for opportunities which would be
effective and we need practitioners to open
their doors, undertake these opportunities and
help these graduates.
AAPPM has created a model. This may not be the
only one, but it is a demonstration that relief
can be manufactured. Last year their program
served over 20 graduates and the vast majority
of those participants matched a residency this
year.
Many of Dr. Arnold's other points are quite
valid and should be employed in an examination
of the lack of foresight that led us to this
point; however, right now we need to press
forward and solve this shortage as well as care
for the disenfranchised graduates who will need
opportunities in the next three years.
What we MUST convey to the students is that the
profession knows about this problem, cares about
this problem and is doing something to eliminate
it. Discussion such as this is an important
element in conveying that message to the future
of this profession.
Joseph D. Pasquino, DPM, President, Pennsylvania
Podiatric Medical Association,
jdpasquino@comcast.ne
