CPME continues to closely monitor the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic and guidance/updates issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, and other sources. Most importantly, CPME wants to ensure that the health and safety of our students, residents, fellows, faculty, staff, learners, and patients are at the forefront of any decisions made. CPME is here to help with the most up-to-date notices in regard to colleges of podiatric medicine, residencies and fellowships, and continuing education.

Many podiatrists are searching for answers about how to address COVID-19 in their practices and personal lives. A wealth of information is available on APMA's COVID-19 resource page. 

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CPME Guidance Statements and Related Documents

Review guidance from the CPME to colleges of podiatric medicine, podiatric medicine and surgery residencies and fellowships, and continuing education providers. These are updated as they are developed.

Colleges of Podiatric Medicine

• CPME and COVID-19 Guidance to Colleges (April 24, 2021)
  At the April 22–24, 2021, meetings, the Accreditation Committee and the Council on Podiatric Medicine determined that the bimonthly COVID-19 reports submitted by the colleges are no longer necessary and information concerning modifications made due to the pandemic will be captured within the college annual report.

• CPME and COVID-19 Guidance to Colleges (June 29, 2020)
  This guidance document provides a reporting mechanism for colleges to use to allow CPME, in its role as accreditor, to gather information concerning any modifications made to the curriculum or programming, to ensure the continued quality of education provided to students.

• CPME and COVID-19 Guidance to Colleges (May 5, 2020)
  This guidance document provides updates to colleges to encourage innovative methods to deliver the curriculum and externship experiences as well as to inform the colleges of reporting mechanisms that have been created during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  
  
• CPME and COVID-19 Guidance to Colleges (March 14, 2020) 
  This is the initial guidance document that details CPME’s expectation of colleges as it relates to providing flexibilities concerning didactic coursework and clinical rotations while taking appropriate measures to ensure the safety of students, fellows, residents, and program faculty and staff.

Residencies and Fellowships

• CPME Policy for On-Site Evaluations and the Covid-19 Pandemic (August 19, 2022)
  CPME recognizes that the Covid-19 pandemic continues. The following policy is for team members who have had recent exposure to Covid-19 or are exhibiting Covid symptoms within three days prior of an on-site evaluation.

• CPME Guidance on COVID-19 for Residency Education and Residents Graduating in 2022 (March 8, 2022)
  Recognizing the continued impact COVID-19 is having on residency training programs, CPME has decreased the required MAVs (minimum activity volume) by 10 percent for all categories and waived the diversity requirements for residents graduating in 2022.

• 2021 Petition to the Residency Review Committee for Alternative Clinical Experiences (February 16, 2021)
  Programs may submit this petition to provide alternative clinical experiences if a required rotation cannot be completed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Petitions must be submitted no later than May 31, 2021.

• Response to the Request of the NBPME Regarding the CSPE Examination (November 4, 2020)
  At its October 2020 meeting, the Council reviewed the request made by the NBPME to “modify the requirement of passing the CSPE examination, which is part of the Part II examination, from prior to beginning a residency program to prior to completing a residency program.” The Council approved a recommendation made by the RRC that residency programs will not be cited with an area of noncompliance if they accept students entering residency training in 2021 who have not passed the NBPME Part II CSPE. The Council did not go so far as to state when students or residents should take the examination, as that is outside the purview of the Council.

• Statement on the Continued Impact of COVID-19 on Residency Training (October 19, 2020)
  After surveying program directors to assess the continued impact of COVID-19 on residency training programs, the Residency Review Committee determined that it is too early in the training year to make any recommendation related to modifications of requirements related to the minimum activity volume of procedures (MAVs) and required rotations. The Council plans to conduct another survey in January 2021 to determine the level to which the COVID crisis continues to impact residents’ abilities to meet MAV and rotation requirements.

• CPME and COVID-19 Statement about Resident and Fellow Employment (May 12, 2020) 
  CPME understands that each Institution is facing unique challenges in this unprecedented time that have caused undue strain on health systems, resulting in a reduction of patient care and revenue and subsequent furlough of staff. However, furloughs of residents or fellows are unacceptable to the CPME. While institutions may face the need to furlough a portion of staff, these actions must not affect the institution’s commitment and obligation to provide continuity of training to residents and fellows.
  
  
• COVID-19 Petition to the RRC (May 4, 2020) 
  This document is the petition form to be utilized by programs for all residents who require prior approval to receive completion certificates due to inability to meet reduced MAVs and/or rotational requirements.
  
  
• COVID-19 and Residency Requirements and MAVs (March 30, 2020) 
  Recognizing the impact COVID-19 is having on residency training programs, including cancelled rotations, decreased office visits, postponed elective surgeries, and temporary closures in affiliate surgery centers, CPME decided that immediate action should be taken to address the challenges facing graduating residents. This action includes notice of temporary decrease of the required MAVs (minimum activity volume) by 15% for all categories, allowing substitution of excess volume in some surgical categories to be utilized to supplement lower volume in categories 1-3, and waive the diversity requirements for residents completing training in 2020.
  Additionally, this document outlines the steps needed to petition the Residency Review Committee to allow residents who are not meeting MAV and/or rotational requirements despite the reduction of MAVs.
  
  
• CPME and COVID-19 Guidance to Residency and Fellowship Education (March 16, 2020) 
  This is the initial guidance document that details CPME’s expectation of institutions sponsoring residency and fellowship programs as it related to providing the training while taking appropriate measures to ensure the safety of students, fellows, residents, and program faculty and staff.

Joint CPME/AACPM Guidance

• CPME/AACPM and COVID-19 (June 15, 2020)
  To preserve the critical clerkship experiences and the benefit of a national residency interview event, the American Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine (AACPM) and the Council on Podiatric Medical Education have created recommendations for podiatric schools, students, program directors, and sponsoring health-care institutions. These recommendations are intended as a framework to promote consistency in approach to podiatric clerkship rotations for the remainder of 2020 and into the 2021 academic year, as well as a contingency plan if in-person interviews for the 2020–2021 residency cycle are not feasible.

Continuing Education

• Transitioning from an In-Person Continuing Education Activity to an Online Continuing Education Activity (April 22, 2020) 
  This document breaks down the differences between Instructional Media and an Internet Live Activity. It also provides a few webinar platforms offering free services, some questions to consider with searching for a streaming/hosting company, and some helpful links to find additional information.
  
  
• CPME and COVID-19 Guidance to Providers of Continuing Education (March 18, 2020) 
  This is the initial guidance document that details CPME’s expectation of providers related to providing Internet Live Activities after the provider decides (voluntarily, or in some cases involuntarily) to cancel or postpone in-person continuing education activities.