Podiatric medical school

Podiatric Medical School is the term used to designate the institutions which educate students and train them to be podiatrists, which diagnose and treat conditions affecting the foot, ankle, and related structures of the leg. In the United States, only schools which are accredited by the Council on Podiatric Medical Education (CPME) may earn the status of being a Podiatric Medical School. The Doctor of Podiatric Medicine degree is commonly abbreviated D.P.M. degree. The D.P.M. degree is a prerequisite for an individual to be accepted into a CPME accredited residency. The preparatory education of most podiatric physicians — similar to the paths of traditional physicians (MD or DO) — includes four years of undergraduate work, followed by four years in an accredited podiatric medical school, followed by a three- or four-year hospital-based podiatry residency. Optional one- to two-year fellowship in foot and ankle reconstruction, surgical limb salvage, sports medicine, plastic surgery, pediatric foot and ankle surgery, and wound care is also available.[1]

Podiatrist, Podiatric Surgeon, Podiatric Physician
Occupation
Activity sectors
Medicine, orthopedics, endocrinology
Description
Education required
Doctor of Podiatric Medicine
Fields of
employment
Hospitals, private practices

There are eleven podiatric medical schools accredited by the CPME in the United States. Podiatric physicians are licensed in all 50 U.S states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico to treat the foot and its related or governing structures by medical, surgical or other means.

State licensing requirements generally include graduation from one of the eleven accredited schools and colleges of podiatric medicine, passage of the National Board exams, postgraduate training and written and oral examinations. National Boards are taken in two parts while in podiatric medical school. Part I covers basic science areas and is generally taken at the conclusion of the second year. Part II has a written exam and Clinical Skills Patient Encounter (CSPE) components of the examination. The CSPE portion assesses proficiency in podiatric clinical tasks and the written examination covers clinical areas such as Medicine; Radiology; Orthopedics, Biomechanics and Sports Medicine; Anesthesia and Surgery; and Community Health, Jurisprudence, and Research.[2]


United States

Podiatric medical education in the United States consists of four (4) years of graduate education with the first two focusing primarily upon the sciences and the last two focusing upon didactic, clinical, and hospital externship experience; similar to education undertaken at other medical schools but with more exposure to the foot and ankle and its related pathologies.[1] After successful completion of these four (4) years of professional education, students are granted a Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (D.P.M.) degree.

While the American Podiatric Medical Association defines Doctor of Podiatric Medicine, or podiatrist, as “a physician and surgeon of the foot and ankle,” the Social Security Administration’s Program Operations Manual System (POMS) legally defines a podiatrist as the following: A podiatrist is included within the definition of “physician” but only with respect to those functions which the podiatrist is legally authorized to perform in the State in which the individual performs them.Furthermore, the POMS states: A podiatrist is considered a “physician” for any of the following purposes: 1.for making the required physician certification and recertifications of the medical necessity for Part A and Part B provider services. 2.for the purpose of establishing and periodically reviewing a home health plan of treatment; and for purposes of constituting a member of a Utilization Review (UR) committee but only if: a.the performance of these functions is consistent with the policy of the institution or agency with respect to which the podiatrist performs them; b. the podiatrist is legally authorized by the State to perform such functions; and c. at least two of the physicians on the UR committee are doctors of medicine or osteopathy.


Post-graduate training

In order to enhance the progression from student to competent podiatric physicians, graduates are required to complete a three-year or four-year post-graduate training residency before practicing podiatric medicine. [3] Each individual residency program must be approved by the Council on Podiatric Medical Education of the American Podiatric Medical Association. The American Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine provides a complete list of approved Podiatric Residency Programs.

Accreditation and governing bodies

The American Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine governs many aspects of Podiatric Medical Education including a mentor network, a centralized application service for prospective students, the Central Application Service for Podiatric Residencies, and the Centralized Residency Interview Program. Schools are also accredited by[4] governmental agencies. Schools of podiatric medicine are not recognized as medical schools by the World Directory of Medical Schools or the World Federation for Medical Education, both of who recognizes COCA-accredited DO-granting and LCME-accredited MD-granting medical schools.Unlike DO and MD, the DPM is yet to be recognized as a full medical degree by the said institutions or by the physician community.[5] It is also important to note that both DO and MD degree holders train in ACGME-accredited residencies; whereas, DPM graduates qualify to participate in residencies accredited by the Council on Podiatric Medical Education(CPME).[6]

The Council on Podiatric Medical Education is an autonomous accrediting agency for podiatric medical education. Deriving its authority from the House of Delegates of the American Podiatric Medical Association, the Council is empowered to develop and adopt standards and policies as necessary for the implementation of all aspects of its accreditation, approval, and recognition purview. The Council is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and the US Secretary of Education as the accrediting agency for first professional degree programs in podiatric medicine. [7]

The American Podiatric Medical Students' Association represents students of podiatry.[8]

Schools in United States

There are eleven podiatric medical schools accredited by the CPME in the United States:

Podiatric Medical School in the United States
Name University Location Founded Website
Arizona School of Podiatric Medicine Midwestern University Glendale, Arizona 2004
Barry University School of Podiatric Medicine Barry University Miami Shores, Florida 1985
California School of Podiatric Medicine Samuel Merritt University[lower-alpha 1] Oakland, California 1914
Des Moines College of Podiatric Medicine and Surgery Des Moines University Des Moines, Iowa 1980
Kent State University College of Podiatric Medicine Kent State University[lower-alpha 2] Independence, Ohio 1916
New York College of Podiatric Medicine Touro College and University System New York City 1911
Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine Rosalind Franklin University[lower-alpha 3] North Chicago, Illinois 1912
Temple School of Podiatric Medicine Temple University[lower-alpha 4] Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1963
UTRGV School of Podiatric Medicine University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Harlingen, Texas 2022
Western College of Podiatric Medicine Western University of Health Sciences Pomona, California 2009
LECOM School of Podiatric Medicine Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine Erie, Pennsylvania 2022
  1. Formerly California College of Podiatric Medicine, merged into Samuel Merritt University in 2002
  2. Formerly Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine, merged into Kent State University in 2012
  3. Formerly Illinois College of Podiatric Medicine, merged into Rosalind Franklin University in 2001
  4. Formerly Pennsylvania College of Podiatric Medicine, merged into Temple University in 1998

Canada

There is one podiatric medical school in Canada based in Trois-Rivieres (Quebec) leading to the D.P.M. degree. It is not accredited by the CPME in the United States, but its curriculum is based on the standards established by the CPME and is approved and accredited by the Quebec Order of Podiatrists and L'Office des professions du Québec.

  • Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières and

The Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Alberta was developing a business plan to establish the second podiatric medical school in Canada by 2012.[9]

References
  1. "ACFAS - Fellowship Resources". www.acfas.org.
  2. "American Podiatric Medical Students' Association". 2013. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
  3. "Residencies", AACPM
  4. "About AACPM", AACPM
  5. "Policy Finder | AMA". policysearch.ama-assn.org. Retrieved 2023-04-13.
  6. "Council on Podiatric Medical Education". Retrieved 29 June 2023.
  7. "Council on Podiatric Medical Education". Retrieved 29 June 2023.
  8. "American Podiatric Medical Students' Association". 2013. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
  9. "Academic Plan 2007-2012", University of Alberta, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry
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