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08/08/2025
RESPONSES/COMMENTS (BOARD CERTIFICATION)
From: Jacob A Panici, DPM
I was a member of ABLES for almost 10 years. When I started re-certification, I was unable to get in touch with anyone at ABLES. A colleague informed me that it was being absorbed by ABSMP and found that I would have to complete another exam and submit 50 surgical cases as well. The ABSMP requirements were too burdensome. I made the decision to sit for the ABPM exam and was able to achieve Diplomate status in 2024.
This summer, one of my hospitals notified me they would suspend my surgical privileges until I completed board certification through ABFAS. This decision was made by the surgical board based on a letter and position statement from American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons.
Jacob A Panici, DPM, Raleigh, NC
Other messages in this thread:
08/20/2025
RESPONSES/COMMENTS (BOARD CERTIFICATION)
RE: Board Certification
From: Lee C. Rogers, DPM
The ABPM certainly understands and we empathize with the difficulties of becoming board certified by a CPME-recognized board if you are outside of the window proximate to residency or have less than 3 years of training, as required in the CPME Specialty Board Standards (CPME Document 220). Many of our colleagues have faced reduced job opportunities due to their lack of CPME-recognized board certification, despite the fact they completed CPME-approved residencies. Many are due to circumstances beyond their control, like starting families, an illness, or the effects of the pandemic. The ABPM has been a leader in advocating for our colleagues and several of the Board of Directors submitted a Policy Proposition to the APMA HOD in 2024 calling for CPME to allow specialty boards to create an alternate pathway for certification. This proposition (4-24) passed the HOD.
In May 2025, CPME published a revised Document 220 to require certifying boards to create an alternate pathway for board certification. These alternate pathways must first receive CPME approval. The ABPM BOD met last weekend and authored our eligibility criteria for this pathway and it will be submitted to CPME in the coming couple of weeks. As always, we believe that podiatric board certification should be a fair and equitable process and creating this alternate pathway is a step in the right direction.
Lee C. Rogers, DPM, ABPM Immediate Past President
08/14/2025
RESPONSES/COMMENTS (BOARD CERTIFICATION)
From: Richard D Wolff, DPM
Per recommendation of Dr. Steinberg, I reached out to CPME and spoke with Executive Director Heather Stagliano. I was informed that CPME has no association with ABLES or ABMSP. There are only two certifying boards that are recognized by CPME, those being ABPM and ABFAS. As such, there is nothing that CPME can do at this time for individuals in my situation that have been board certified by another board for many years.
Heather informed me that there was discussion in May of this year, and they are working on an alternative pathway for individuals certified by another board to become certified through ABPM or ABFAS. This will likely be discussed at their next meeting in February. In the meantime, individuals like myself are becoming more aware of the need for unity in our profession. We have all seen the posts about the need for a single unifying board. I think I now understand this need. Dr. Kass asked, "When will the insanity stop?" The answer appears to be: not until at least February of next year.
Richard D Wolff, DPM Oregon, OH
08/14/2025
RESPONSES/COMMENTS (BOARD CERTIFICATION)
From: Anas Khoury, DPM
I have also looked into applying for board certification from ABPM, but was told that because I completed a PSR-24 residency 22 years ago, I did not currently qualify. I have been in touch with CPME regarding this and they have currently approved documents in May 2025 to allow for alternate pathways for certification for candidates in these positions: https://www.cpme.org/specialty-certifying-boards/cpme-220-and-230-revisions-in-progress/.
“See pages 18-19 in CPME 130: Alternative Pathways and Transition of Residency Program Requirements and Board Certification Policies. The recognized specialty board must develop policies to allow those who did not complete a PMSR, PMSR/RRA, or PM&S-36 residency program to apply for board certification.”
So it is now up to ABPM to create the alternative pathway for board certification. I have contacted ABPM regarding this for a timeline of when that would be available; their response is pending.
Anas Khoury, DPM, Passaic, NJ
08/13/2025
RESPONSES/COMMENTS (BOARD CERTIFICATION) - PART 1B
From: Jeffrey Kass, DPM
A few people have written in that they were part of ABLES, which no longer exists. The name withheld person states they did an RPR—PSR program, and CPME rules do not allow them to get boarded by ABPM.
There is a real problem with this profession. It is rooted in non-sensical rules that only serve to hurt rather than help those who laid the foundation for the profession. Like name withheld, I did a two-year residency. I received the same certification: RPR/PSR-12. My current board is ABPM. If I can be boarded by ABPM, then someone with the same training credentials should be allowed to be grandfathered in, case closed. Stop, the B.S.
Enough is enough. Whoever made these rules should be put in the Podiatric Hall of Shame. I call on ABPM, CPME, and whatever other acronyms are needed to rectify the situation and let people practice their profession. When will the insanity stop?
Jeffrey Kass, DPM, Forest Hills, NY
08/13/2025
RESPONSES/COMMENTS (BOARD CERTIFICATION) - PART 1A
From: Robert Scott Steinberg, DPM
You should be grandfathered in under the rules in place at the time you finished your two-year program.
I would contact CPME directly. Let us know what they say. Let us know their attitude. I would also contact the APMA if you are still a member. Let us know about their reaction.
Robert Scott Steinberg, DPM, Schaumburg, IL
08/12/2025
RESPONSES/COMMENTS (BOARD CERTIFICATION)
From: Name Withheld
I also had been certified by the American Board of Lower Extremity Surgery (ABLES) for a long time until it was acquired by the ABMSP. The new board grants a 2-year certification verification period, after which one has to apply from scratch and sit for the exam. In light of this acquisition, I strongly believe the former ABLES diplomates should be able to re-certify with the new board like any other ABMSP member.
As an alternative solution, I did try to apply for the ABPM (American Board of Podiatric Medicine) certification, but was told by them that the CPME rules do not allow them to accept me; the residency program that I did 27 years ago, a CPME approved 2-year RPR/PSR-12 does not qualify me to apply for the ABPM certification. Back then, there weren't that many surgical residency programs available, and RPR/PSR-12 was a sought-after program. Thus, after 25 years of practice, I cannot apply to ABPM because of the restrictive CPME. I know several other podiatrists who did the residency program at my hospital, and who are in a similar situation.
I wonder what the CPME and the members of the profession have to say about this?
Name Withheld
07/10/2024
RESPONSES/COMMENTS (BOARD CERTIFICATION)
RE: Confusion About Board Certification
From: H. David Gottlieb, DPM
I don't understand the mischaracterization of the concept of one podiatry board for the podiatric profession. If enacted, this would only mean that ALL podiatrists would have the chance to be board certified. Those of us who are certified by APBM or ABFAS would then have TWO, not one, certification.
One podiatry board should not eliminate the desire to specialize if one wants. Nor should it eliminate the desire to seek certification in that specialty if one wants. Podiatrists should be able to be board certified podiatrists.
H. David Gottlieb, DPM, Baltimore, MD
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