10/10/2015    Name Withheld

ABFAS Shark Tank

What's most "unfair and frustrating" about this
whole thread is the whining of a podiatrist who
cannot achieve board certification. I find it
interesting that even after several people have
explained that no one has been grandfathered into
board certification, and have explained the
process, this disgruntled Name Withheld still
contends that there are those who are. We finally
get where this is coming from - the
administrators at his hospital. C'mon it’s
obvious that that is the easiest, most concise
way to explain the situation...and shouldn't be
taken as gospel - especially after a more correct
and thorough explanation has been given by the
powers that be.

Concerning case submission. I agree that the
current process is time-consuming, frustrating,
and a little arduous (I recently sat for my
boards during the transition stages for both case
submission and oral/CBPS). But I must say that
one is given the opportunity to explain any gaps
in therapy, and if patients are lost to follow
up, one is given the opportunity to explain this
as well. I can attest that I had a few of my
chosen cases that were not "complete" by the
ABFAS guidelines, but I gave thorough
explanations as to why this was. Secondly, I was
able to deduce that the reason for not being
allowed to cherry pick your best cases is to
discern whether one can be objective concerning
their results. If, as another poster points out,
you are able to recognize complications and
explain where things went wrong and what you
could and should have done differently, that
makes you a better overall surgeon and one that
warrants certification by the ABFAS. If, on the
other hand, you are unable to accept constructive
criticism and learn from it, you prove that you
are not ready to achieve certified status.

We have to do everything in our power to protect
the integrity of our profession. It’s laughable
that someone believes in this "club" mentality.
You have to understand that hundreds of people go
through the same process every year and pass
without hiccup. Take the criticism, fix the
problems, and try again. You are not defined by
your failures...it is what you do when you've
been knocked down that defines you.

Name Withheld

Other messages in this thread:

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10/03/2015    Sheldon Nadal, DPM

The ABFAS Shark Tank

I am very sorry to hear about the travails that
young practitioners experience in order to get
board certified to perform foot surgery in
hospitals. I am Canadian and have been practicing
in Toronto, Ontario, Canada since completing my
residency in foot surgery in Philadelphia in
1980.

When I came back home it was made very clear to
me by the orthopedic powers that be that
hospitals were for orthopedic surgeons to do foot
surgery, not podiatrists. Consequently, I, like
other Ontario podiatrists before me who were
trained in foot surgery, set up my office so that
I could perform surgery on an outpatient basis in
my own clinic.

At about the same time, I was extremely
fortunate to discover the Academy of Ambulatory
Foot and Ankle Surgery whose members mentored me
in the techniques of minimally invasive foot
surgery, which were perfectly suited for an
office-based surgical practice.

Consequently, I was able to build a thriving foot
surgery practice, where patients pay cash for my
services and I am able to schedule the procedures
at my convenience without having to travel back
and forth from the office to a hospital.

It took some time to get the word out, but once
patients realized that they could have foot
surgery performed in an office with local
anesthetic, immediate ambulation, small scars and
very little pain, my practice took off and I have
been able to make a very comfortable living while
helping a large number of patients.

Sheldon Nadal, DPM, Toronto, Canada