Council on Podiatric Medical Education

The SBRC is responsible for recommending to the Council the granting of new and continuing recognition of specialty boards in podiatric medicine. The SBRC reviews applications, annual reports, petitions for continued recognition, progress reports, and other information submitted by the specialty boards within its review area. (Ch. 5, Sec. 7.C. of the CPME bylaws)

In March 2021, the APMA House of Delegates approved a resolution moving the JCRSB from a joint committee of CPME and APMA to a standing committee of CPME. Subsequently, CPME adopted bylaw amendments at its October 2021 and April 2022 meetings to officially move the SBRC to a standing committee of the Council and restructure the SBRC representation.

Furthermore, as part of this process, the JCRSB/SBRC documents (CPME 220, Criteria and Guidelines for Recognition of a Specialty Board for Podiatric Medical Practice, and CPME 230, Procedures for Recognition of a Specialty Board for Podiatric Medical Practice) were updated to reflect the revisions to the CPME Bylaws.

The issue of having one specialty board for the profession is an issue the profession itself must resolve. CPME cannot make this decision alone for the profession.

Each recognized specialty board sets its own criteria for awarding board qualification/eligibility and board certification. Please contact each board regarding its requirements. Links to each board’s homepage can be found on the CPME homepage by clicking on the “Specialty Certifying Boards” tab.

Recognized specialty boards have the ultimate responsibility of identifying qualified practitioners who have successfully completed approved postgraduate training and passed a rigorous examination that attests to advanced skills and knowledge.

Podiatric physicians who graduated from residency prior to 2011 and who completed a one- or two-year residency program may have difficulty proving to the specialty board that they completed a sufficiently rigorous and advanced education.

The podiatric medical profession defines a specialty as a field of practice within podiatric medicine that requires possession of special knowledge and skills achieved through completion of intensive study and extended clinical experiences beyond the professional degree. Criteria within CPME 220, Criteria and Guidelines for Recognition of a Specialty Board for Podiatric Medical Practice, expound on this topic:

Criterion 6.2
The specialty board shall require candidates for initial certification to have successfully completed a minimum of three years of CPME-approved residency training.

Criterion 6.3
The specialty boards shall establish well-defined, rigorous, transparent, and equitable alternative pathways for initial board certification for those candidates who do not qualify under 6.2. The alternate pathway must be approved by the CPME.