07/07/2023    Jeff Carnett, DPM

ABPM International Board (ABPMI) Certification (Name Withheld)

I have voiced my disappointment in the ABPM for
certifying so-called podiatrist with a 3-year post-
high school degree. The legal status of any
relationship of ABPM and ABPM International does
not change the fact that people who do not have a
medical qualification will claim Board
Certification from ABPM. It seems suggested that a
3-year degree without a residency is equivalent in
rigor and content to a (US based) DPM degree plus
residency. Therefore, they have access to
certification while some of us don't. Having been
at the frontline with the Bachelor degree podiatry
world let me share two snipits to give a glimpse of
the training:

I taught in an Australian podiatry program. I
coordinated the pharmacology course. As I was not
board certified I was not able to teach in the
course. The "podiatric surgeon" who holds a diploma
in Chiropody but is a "surgeon" taught the students
that if a patient has a known allergy to penicillin
to simply give cephalosporins as "there is no cross
sensitivity', The two PhDs in Pharmacology who also
taught in this course protested to me about the
dangerous incorrect information. I agreed that the
'pod surgeon' was wrong. Students also expressed
their confusion. I reported the situation to the
school. Program administrators warned me that if I
corrected the 'podiatric surgeon' my licensure
would be at risk. This is because he sat on the
registration/licensing board.

Example two: An educator in New Zealand teaches
that using lidocaine with epinephrine will "prevent
anaphylaxis" since it contains the drug used to
treat anaphylaxis.

These two experts are proclaimed as the two most
qualified podiatrists in the respective countries.
They will certainly be welcome for ABPM
certification and already claim to have training
and skills superior to an American DPM.
It has been stated that overseas podiatry education
is equal, just the 'systems' are different. This
shows a gross ignorance of the real situation.

The fact is, an American DPM degree is not the same
as an overseas so-called podiatry degree. In
contrast to overseas medical degrees-while at
bachelor's degree level have basic medical sciences
in their curriculum similar to an MD/DO. Overseas
podiatry degrees are light on science. They are
essentially old chiropody degrees which adopted the
name "podiatry" to get credibility not earned.

Regardless of the legal relationship between the
ABPM and the ABPM(I), great harm be done to those
of us working overseas by giving credibility to
these poorly trained individuals. All at our
expense.

Jeff Carnett, DPM, Auckland, New Zealand

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