05/05/2016    Peter C. Smith, DPM

2016 Residency Placement Status Update (Alan Sherman, DPM)

I read, with concern, that the AACPM's latest
statistics allow Dr. Sherman to "...conclude
that the residency shortage is now over." My
concern is that a leading figure in our
profession would publically announce that the
residency crisis is no longer a crisis.

The latest Residency Placement Statistics must
be read in the perspective of the current
condition of our profession. We are the single
medical profession which is failing to thrive.
The residency positions only match the
graduating class numbers because the CPME has,
arguably appropriately, restricted/capped the
class size allotted to each school.

Dr. Sherman is correct, there are many members
who need to be acknowledged and thanked. There
are new residencies which have been created
since 2010. However, the number of positions
created has almost equaled the number which
have been lost due to hospital realignment
and/or closure.

Many of our profession's leaders have tirelessy
worked on solving this shortfall, but we all
must know that this is still a crisis. A
shortfall balanced on the backs of the schools
by restricting enrollments is not a solution.
It merely places us in a holding pattern at a
time when we should be expanding to meet the
ever increasing need for podiatric services.

We all hope that this continuing problem will
be addressed by the APMA Stakeholder's meeting
in June. This is not the time to broadcast
that the profession's problems are solved. This
is the time to define the long term goals for
our profession, as we did with Vision 2015, and
redouble our collective efforts to achieve
those goals and once again begin to grow.


Peter C. Smith, DPM, President, Pennsylvania
Podiatric Medical Association

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