The Council on Podiatric Medical Education (CPME) is aware of the recent announcements by the American Board of Podiatric Medicine (ABPM) to offer a Certificate of Added Qualification (CAQ) in podiatric surgery. The Council does not recognize or approve any CAQs within its current policies and procedures for board recognition. CAQs are not equivalent to certification, and they cannot lead to certification in any specific content area. Further, the Council believes it would be confusing to the public to provide a qualification in podiatric surgery when there is a surgical certification board within the profession.

The Joint Committee on the Recognition of Specialty Boards (JCRSB) was restructured as a standing committee of the Council as the Specialty Board Recognition Committee (SBRC) as of March 2022 and is no longer a joint committee with APMA. However, the ruling made by the JCRSB in 2018 is still in effect and states that although the ABPM was offering CAQs, all language on the actual CAQ provided to its certificants must state that the CAQ is not a CPME-recognized product.

The Council had already appointed an ad hoc advisory committee to begin the rewrite of the SBRC documents beginning fall 2022. Consistent with CPME’s procedures, this will be a clear and transparent process that includes input from the entire community of interest. The Council’s rules and procedures are the result of a thoughtful and deliberative process, and CPME will continue to vigorously enforce its existing and future standards with due process.

CPME requests, for the best interest of the profession, that all specialty boards refrain from implementing CAQs, including the CAQ in podiatric surgery, until the rewrite process is complete.

CPME is making this public statement so there is no ambiguity in its current position with respect to CAQs thus ensuring that stakeholders (e.g., hospitals making privileging decisions) have accurate facts about the Council's prevailing policy.