What is the role of the Residency Review Committee (RRC)?
How often does the RRC meet?
What is a podiatric residency?
What is the Council’s role in residency education?
Why does CPME allow new residencies to open?
Why does CPME allow residency programs to increase the number of approved positions?
Why are there two types of residency programs, PMSR and PMSR/RRA?
What is a podiatric fellowship?
What is the Council’s role in fellowship education?
The RRC is responsible for determining eligibility of applicant institutions for initial on-site evaluation of residencies and fellowships, approval of resident transfers, authorization of requests for additional residency and fellowship positions, and for recommending to the Council approval of residency and fellowship programs. The RRC reviews applications, reports of on-site evaluations, applications for increases in positions, requests for transfers, progress reports, and other information submitted by sponsoring institutions. (Ch. 5, Sec. 6.C. of the CPME bylaws)
The RRC holds at least two in-person meetings a year. Additional meetings or e-ballots may be called by the chair of the Committee or by a majority of Committee members when necessary. Such additional meetings are subject to the approval of the Council chair. A list of meetings and submission deadlines can be found on the CPME website.
Following four years of professional education, graduates of colleges or schools of podiatric medicine enter postgraduate residency programs conducted under the sponsorship of a hospital, academic health center, health-care system, or CPME-accredited college of podiatric medicine. Residencies afford these individuals structured learning experiences in patient management along with training in the diagnosis and care of podiatric pathology. The individuals involved in these training programs are referred to as “residents” and are recognized as such by the institutions sponsoring the programs.
The Council has been authorized by APMA to approve institutions that sponsor residency programs that demonstrate and maintain compliance with established standards and requirements. Podiatric residency approval is based on programmatic evaluation and periodic review by the RRC and the Council.
It is important to understand that CPME’s role in approving residencies in podiatric medicine and surgery is to ensure that these institutions meet the CPME standards and requirements as outlined in CPME 320, Standards and Requirements for Approval of Podiatric Medicine and Surgery Residencies, and CPME 330, Procedures for Approval of Podiatric Medicine and Surgery Residencies. CPME does not control the market and therefore cannot stop new residency programs from opening if they are able to meet the standards and requirements and provide the minimum volume of cases and clinical experiences required to train residents.
The RRC considers applications for increases in residency positions and approves these applications when an institution can demonstrate that it has the appropriate resources for an increase in residency positions. In addition to ensuring that a program can demonstrate it has sufficient volume of case and procedure activities in all categories to train additional residents, the RRC reviews resident logs to ensure that residents are logging accurately and appropriately.
The only difference between a PMSR program and a PMSR/RRA program is the volume of required foot and ankle surgical cases and Reconstructive Rearfoot/Ankle (RRA) procedures. CPME recognizes that not all podiatric physicians plan to practice surgery; as such, PMSR programs may be better suited for these residents. Students apply to specific residency programs through a national matching service and are matched with and contracted to receive the certificate for the program they complete.
Under special circumstances, program directors may request a PMSR certificate for a resident in a PMSR/RRA who cannot complete the RRA requirement. This request includes a signed attestation of agreement from the resident. An institution that sponsors a PMSR residency may not request a one-time PMSR/RRA certificate even if the resident has met the requirements of a PMSR/RRA. However, a PMSR may apply to reclassify all or a portion of the residency positions to PMSR/RRA. The application to reclassify the residency must be submitted at least six months prior to the resident’s completion of training.
A podiatric fellowship is an educational program that provides advanced knowledge, experience, and training in a specific content area within podiatric medical practice. Fellowships, by nature of their specific content concentration, seek to add to the body of knowledge through research and other collaborative scholarly activities. Podiatric fellowship education is a component in the continuum of the educational process, and such education occurs after completion of an approved specialty residency.
The ever-increasing body of medical knowledge necessitates the development of fellowships to facilitate the ability of highly trained professionals to continue the search for innovative and improved methods to prevent disease, promote health, and more effectively manage foot and ankle pathology.
The Council has been authorized by APMA to approve institutions that demonstrate and maintain compliance with the standards and requirements found in CPME 820, Standards and Requirements for Approval of Podiatric Fellowships. Podiatric fellowship approval is based on programmatic evaluation and periodic review by the Council and the Residency Review Committee (RRC). For more information on the RRC, please see above.
CPME FAQs - What is the CPME?
CPME FAQs - Colleges and Schools of Podiatric Medicine
CPME FAQs - Continuing Education Providers
CPME FAQs - Specialty Boards
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