APMA News - April 2012 - (Page 26)

APMA NEWS: How did you become interested in the role? DR. WOLF: Over many years practicing as a podiatrist, I served as a residency director for 20 years, Edwin Wolf, DPM as chair of the [AACPM] Council of Teaching Hospitals, and as a residency evaluator for CPME. I have strong ties to the American Board of Podiatric Surgery and the American Board of Podiatric Orthopedics and Primary Podiatric Medicine. APMA NEWS: I’ve been lucky enough almost by accident to develop a skill set Students are obviously concerned about a residency shortage and understand all of the issues of all these organizations. in podiatric medicine. Why is it an issue that should concern the When I first saw this position being offered, I was sort of entire profession? Why does it merit the creation of a national enthralled by how much fun it would be to put all the knowlresidency facilitator position? edge I’ve picked up over the years to good use to help the DR. WOLF: profession that has helped me so much. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has quantified a significant shortage of podiatrists in this country and determined we need to increase the number of podiatrists almost fourfold by 2014 APMA NEWS: in order to appropriately care for the American population. We need residency programs to adequately train podiaWhat are your goals for the residency genesis initiative, and trists. If there are not enough [positions] to appropriately what is the timeframe for achieving them? train these individuals, we’ll have significant problems. DR. WOLF: A residency shortage also creates a potentially more seriMy goal is to ensure that every individual who graduates ous problem for the future. Students have a network of comfrom an accredited college of podiatric medicine is able to be munication, and if the word gets out that spending four years placed into a PMSR [podiatric medicine and surgery residenin podiatric medical college results in a dead end, we’ll have cy] that meets the standards of CPME. The goal is to have significantly fewer applicants to our colleges. Of course, the 110 percent of the number of seats for graduates. The idea is colleges have a cap on class sizes, but we would like to see a to ensure everyone has a [residency], but we don’t want to larger number of qualified applicants for the seats available. have programs frustrated that they have a position but can’t Our applicant pool has been increasing in quality for years. If fill it. word gets out that there are not enough residencies available We all have to understand that developing residency programs and graduates will not be able to practice their chosen profesis a process. I would love to say we should have enough slots sion after four years of medical school—and significant for everyone by July, but that’s absolutely impossible. We have debt—that trend will reverse itself. to get individual podiatrists interested in establishing a residency, educate the hospitals about sponsoring residency proPodiatrists who are currently in practice need associates; grams, put an application through CPME that certifies the they need people to work with them and take the reins in the program’s ability to provide education, and achieve CPME apfuture. We need a well-educated population of podiatrists to proval. It takes time. The goal is to make headway by the 2013 do that. graduating class and continue forging ahead in 2014 and Lots of organizations have been working on this issue. 2015. I must say, I am extremely optimistic based on the 10 CPME knows all the rules to establish residencies; AACPM 26 APMA News April 2012 PMA News recently spoke with Edwin Wolf, DPM, the new national residency facilitator for the American Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine (AACPM). APMA worked closely with AACPM to finance this position to address a shortage of residency programs in podiatric medicine. Dr. Wolf shared his priorities for the National Residency Facilitation Initiative and explained why residency genesis should be a concern for every member of the podiatric medical profession. APMA members who are interested in developing a residency program or know of someone with the skills to serve as a residency director should contact Dr. Wolf at ewolf@aacpm.org or call the CPME residency start-up helpline at 800-372-0775. A Residency Genesis: A Priority for the Profession knows all the reimbursement issues involved with graduate medical education (GME); APMA has the students’ and profession’s best interests at heart, but in the past, nobody has been assigned to put all of that together and funnel all of the issues through one channel. That’s why a facilitator position was necessary: It allows a coordinated effort by all parties of interest to deal with developing residency programs.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of APMA News - April 2012

APMA News - April 2012
In This Issue
Contents
Gen Z and myFEET
Dr. Caporusso’s Inaugural Speech to the House of Delegates
The Nuts and Bolts of Your House
Residency Genesis: A Priority for the Profession
Forum Builds Profession-wide Consensus on Student Recruitment
APMA By the Decade: 1942–1951
Profiles in Progress: Postgraduate Education
2011 Podiatric Practice Survey: Insurance Plan Participation
Infection Control Issues in the Podiatric Setting
Committee Member Acknowledgements
Federal Advocacy Forum
APMAPAC Chair Report
IT Consultant
Visit the Nation’s Capital for The National
Annual Scientific Meeting Preliminary Program
Annual Scientific Meeting Registration Form
Annual Scientific Meeting Sponsors
Website Wisdom
Technofile
Small Business 101
APMA All Stars
In Short
Worthy of Note
Affiliates Corner
List of Affiliated Organizations
Insurance Advisor
New Members
Death Notices
APMAPAC Update
Development Update
Awards Nominations
Classified Advertising
Dates to Remember
Advertising Index
10 Questions
Your APMA

APMA News - April 2012