01/17/2022    Leonard A. Levy, DPM, MPH

Preparing Podiatric Medicine for its Future Role in Healthcare: A Half Century is Much Too Long (Richard Bloch))

Richard Bloch, Executive Director of the Maryland
Podiatric Medical Association, disagrees with my
statement that there should ”be an organized effort
by our profession taking the National Board
Examinations and/or acquiring a license comparable
to other medical specialties (e.g., ophthalmology,
ENT, etc.).” Furthermore, he describes podiatric
physicians as being "generically licensed" and
says that their specialization is by training,
certification and/or self-designation. He also
concludes that “podiatrists elect to specialize by
attending podiatric medical school and that the
profession should be proud of its distinction in
that regard”.

Mr. Bloch claims that whether the doctor has taken
a particular exam is not something a patient looks
at in deciding which doctor to consult with but
a recognition of that doctor’s specialty and
reputation.

Indeed, I do want the public to recognize
podiatrists as physicians specializing in diseases
and disorders affecting the foot and ankle
but due to their education and training which
prepares them to succeed in an exam demonstrating
their ability as being equal to other allopathic
and osteopathic physicians. Paraphrasing the bard,
a rose by any other name is still a rose. Podiatric
physicians do not “treat feet and ankles.” They
provide medical and surgical care of people who
seek care for problems affecting that part of their
body.

It must also be recognized that in the last two
decades there have been major changes
in the education of osteopathic and allopathic
physicians. In addition to passing the USMLE,
there also needs to be significant modification in
the education and training of the podiatric
physician. This is not a statement based simply on
opinion and/or didactic knowledge but on experience
I accumulated over the 16 years I served as
Associate Dean for Research and Innovation at Nova
Southeastern University (NSU)

Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine
as well as serving on the Curriculum Committee of
the College of Allopathic Medicine at NSU. I also
was invited to and served on the National Board of
Osteopathic Medical Examiners. This required
passing a qualifying examination authorizing me to
write questions for Part II of the osteopathic
licensing board in public health and preventive
medicine.

Leonard A. Levy, DPM, MPH, Ft. Lauderdale, FL

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