11/13/2025    Steven Spinner, DPM

Do Real Stakeholders Exist? (Rod Tomczak, DPM, MD, EdD)

Parity or Parody…A little boy is standing outside
a sandbox where the big kids are playing. He is
distressed and wants to play with the big kids but
they have not been paying attention to him for a
very long time. He thinks that if only they would
let him in the sandbox that he will become one of
the gang. As we all know, probably not true. He
will never become one of the “big kids”….and if he
should happen to be invited in, most likely he
will be assigned to the corner of the sand box.

At some point, after a lot of whining about his
predicament, he turns around and sees a really
nice sandbox where all of his friends are having a
grand old time. Maybe if he stopped whining about
wanting to be in the big kids sandbox he would
have gained an appreciation for what he already
had and found a new appreciation for his own
sandbox.

So let’s stop whining about needing to have our
residencies approved under the ACGME umbrella.
Does anyone out there really believe that this
will magically give us parity?

We have a great sandbox….it’s called the Council
on Podiatric Medical Education. I have been a
Program Director for 46 years and have lost count
of how many CPME inspections I have endured.
Anyone of my PD colleagues out there know what I
am talking about. Interestingly enough, my very
first inspection which occurred in the early 80’s
was performed singularly by Dr. Rodney Tomczak…you
may be familiar with his posts. I am not aware if
Dr. Tomczak has performed a program inspection
since then, but I am curious as to whether his
push for ACGME approval of podiatric residencies
is based on his previous experience.

To recap…and I apologize if my recollection is
faulty…it was more like a good old boy slap on the
back and let’s have a beer. My most recent
inspection, conducted by Oleg Petrov, Larry Oloff,
and other distinguished members of our profession,
was a comprehensive deep dive into every aspect of
my program. You need to compare the approval
standards for residencies between CPME and ACGME
to realize that we are not any less rigorous in
our standards.

You want parity? YOU go out and get it…you the
individual. Be the best at what you do…treat your
patients with dignity. Choose treatment protocols
that you would chose for your child or parent, not
the one that is being hawked by the drug or
equipment company. Get involved with your
profession and be proud of being a podiatrist.
Parity, being recognized as an equal, is not
conferred by a piece of paper from ACGME. It’s
conferred on you, the individual…and is hard won
by your dedication to being the best at what you
do….and showcasing those efforts to your medical
colleagues.

There is no Wizard of Oz….we already have a brain
and a heart….let’s find the courage to stand up
for the podiatric profession and stop the whining.

Steven Spinner, DPM, Plantation, FL

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