09/29/2022     Timothy Ford, DPM

AACPM Statement on Board Certification (Allen Jacobs, DPM)

I would like to address the ongoing issues of CAQ
and the Boards and make some salient points to
clarify many of the statements made. These are my
personal opinions and what I have observed in an
academic setting as well as a residency and
fellowship director:

• Board certification demonstrates minimal
competency it does not demonstrate the fact that
someone excels in any form of surgery or medicine.
In fact, Board Certification tests Minimal
Competency as the definition below states:

o Physicians seeking board certification in a
given area of specialty must successfully complete
and pass an examination process designed to test
their mastery of the minimum knowledge and skills
contained in the core competency document. Prior
to taking the examination, a physician must
graduate with a degree, either MD, DO or DPM and
meet all other prerequisites to certification as
set out by the certifying agency or "board."

• Residents who graduate from any residency
program in orthopedics, general surgery, plastics,
podiatry etc. are granted privileges by the
hospital/facility via their credentialing
committees. Initially only completion of a
residency and or fellowship and case logs (as a
resident/fellow) are the determining factors for
surgical/medical privileges at a hospital or
surgery center not Board Certification! For the
most part those who graduate from a residency
program are immediately able to perform surgical
cases without being out of residency training for
any length of time or supervision. Once graduated
residents are evidently competent enough to now
perform surgical cases on their own.

• Board certification can also lead to an increase
in a physician to perform needlessly more
surgical/medical cases, (to obtain the required
cases for board certification), this too has the
potential as a public and ethical issue that is
never discussed.

• Again, there is confusion relating CAQ in
podiatic surgery to Board Certification which it
is not. The American Board of Podiatric Medicine
has stated this including the requirement to be
Board Certified to sit for their CAQ’s. One other
reason why physicians sit for a Board
Certification is that they want to test themselves
regarding their knowledge base in a specific
specialty.

Likewise, a CAQ is very similar in that it is
testing a knowledge base to help grow an
individual educationally and professionally. Where
is the wrong in either of these? Additionally,
Board Certification does not guarantee granting of
hospital privileges nor does is protect the public
as witnessed by the fact that our residents and
fellows newly graduating from our residency and
fellowships (and other medical specialties) do not
have Board Certification in surgery (or medicine)
yet are credentialed to perform surgeries or
admit/treat patients at various facilities around
the country. We all know excellent board certified
Podiatrist but we also know many who are not! The
individual State Medical Boards help protect the
public not the ABFAS or the ABPM.

One final thought is that of fellowship training
within our profession. Currently, fellowship
training leads to no board certification but is
purely done as a furthering of one’s educational
experience both clinically and academically. A CAQ
and or board certification does the same---
physicians gravitate towards these to grow
educationally and again this is only a positive,
not a negative for any profession.

I do find it gratifying that we are voicing
opinions and dialogue is occurring. We need more
of this to continue to grow our podiatric
profession. However “board bashing” or name
calling is never positive but only brings on
attitudes that will continue to divide our small
profession. As one who is Board Certified by both
ABPM and ABFAS and have sit on committees for
both, I can see “both sides of the street”. That
being said, the Boards and CPME together need to
address this and all other issues and come to an
equitable arrangement. I have mentioned in the
past that If we had one Certifying Board this and
many other issues would never happen so now is the
time to evaluate how this can be attained to unify
and strengthen our profession.

Timothy Ford, DPM, Louisville, KY

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