May 17, 2021

Since 2018, the Joint Task Force of Orthopaedic and Podiatric Surgeons has worked on mutually beneficial policy goals. The four participating organizations are the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons (ACFAS), the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS), and APMA.

Now after years of thoughtful discussion and deliberation, the task force has unanimously endorsed a white paper, which addresses the goal of equivalency in education pathways and certification. The next step in this process is a resolution that was recently submitted for consideration at the June 2021 Special Meeting of the American Medical Association (AMA) House of Delegates.

Both the white paper and resolution demonstrate the goal shared by orthopaedists and podiatrists in standardizing education and accreditation for care of the foot, ankle, and lower leg. We are proud of our combined efforts to date and look forward to continued valuable collaboration between our professions to benefit our members and our patients in the future.

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Editor's Note: APMA strongly believes that DPMs are physicians and surgeons whose education and training are comparable to the education and training of MDs and DOs. Your association therefore supports a uniform model for licensing to demonstrate to health-care consumers that DPMs have met the same rigorous standards as other physicians.