ABPM if Already ABFAS Qualified

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bloxxeeey

bloxxeeey

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I am ABFAS qualified (both). Graduating this year. Is it worthwhile to do ABPM? I’m considering doing it for the sake of having it and being “certified”.

Also what are the study resource recommendations? I’m assuming it’s not as surgical as ABFAS so I would have to change my studying resources for this exam.
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Is it worthwhile? In a word, yes. For all the :1poop: we give LCR, it's useful in terms of insurance/hospital credentialing and I like much of their advocacy. The CAQs are still nonsense.

In terms of study resources, let's just say that the test is harder than APMLE part 3.
 
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I was ABFAS qual when I graduated. Covid happened rapidly and I wondered when the world would normalize again. I got ABPM because it seemed like a good insurance policy ie. didn't know when the OR would start up again. Also it was possible to do the ABPM qual and cert simultaneously. I don't regret it, but its a bunch of extra money to pay out of your own pocket if your job isn't paying for it. If you get ABPM but are still pursuing ABFAS certification you'll view any extra work you have to do to main cert as a nuisance.

The simple truth is - the best thing you can probably do is actually get your ABFAS as fast as possible so you can stop logging cases. Sometimes during residency people would do that thing where they stopped logging because they are busy or whatever and then their director busts their chops and says log your damn cases. You can literally stop logging for ABFAS as soon as you pass. You could theoretically stop logging cases year 1-2 if you get it. Or you can be years out having to log hundreds and hundreds of hammertoes and plantar fascial release and crap because the boot lickers at ABFAS want everything because their process is dog ****.
 
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Adam Smasher said:
Is it worthwhile? In a word, yes. For all the :1poop: we give LCR, it's useful in terms of insurance/hospital credentialing and I like much of their advocacy. The CAQs are still nonsense.

In terms of study resources, let's just say that the test is harder than APMLE part 3.
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I would agree with this:

Do ABPM in the early years after residency (to be 'board cert' for some insurances), then drop it once ABFAS cert (or keep it if you like or if hospital pays for it). Bear in mind it's no slam dunk that one who is ABFAS qual will get cert, so, there's also that. When you're done with ABPM, it may not be easy to cut ties (they might try to make it hard to quit and try to hold onto 'members' and keep dues coming in... pretty sad). You can put bank stop payment if they won't let you out... no joke.

In terms of hospitals/surgery, ABPM usually does nothing that ABFAS qual does not do (any chief of podiatry in charge of surgery privileging typically knows ABFAS qual/cert is hard/surgical test and ABPM is basically a 100% pass and that their cert can basically be found in a Cracker Jack box).

ABFAS policy allows promoting BQ status now (historically only allowed BC), so there is no longer any advantage in that realm either.

However, it's not really accurate to say ABPM is harder than anything. It's a joke.
ABPM board cert test is easier than APMLE (hence pass rates are even higher for ABPM). Both national pod boards and ABPM are a sure pass without any study unless someone was really bottom of the pod school class and a very bad test taker (and they'd still pass it with a bit of study and retake). If you do want to study, just go through PI manual or whatever will help you for ABFAS also. Anyone who passed ABFAS will pass ABPM without issue. ABPM's whole existence is just being an alternate board hoping to get some money from those who can't pass ABFAS... that is why the allow 8yrs to get cert (when ABFAS does 7yr), ABPM always ultra-high pass rate, now CAQs to try for more money, etc.
 
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You should get ABPM certified. You want to make sure insurances don't try to turn the board situation against you. Decide if you want to keep ABPM after you are cert in ABFAS.

The test is is joke. I literally did nothing for prep.
 
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I removed the words "Foot and Ankle Surgeon" from my linkedin profile.

Forefoot is life.
Plantar fasciitis is life.

If ABPM is good enough in your area to do what you want - embrace it.
 
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bloxxeeey said:
I am ABFAS qualified (both). Graduating this year. Is it worthwhile to do ABPM? I’m considering doing it for the sake of having it and being “certified”.

Also what are the study resource recommendations? I’m assuming it’s not as surgical as ABFAS so I would have to change my studying resources for this exam.
Click to expand...
You don't need to study. You will pass so the ABPM army becomes bigger and more powerful.
 
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Retrograde_Nail said:
You will pass so the ABPM army becomes bigger and more powerful.
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revenge of the sith episode 3 GIF by Star Wars
 
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heybrother said:
I removed the words "Foot and Ankle Surgeon" from my linkedin profile.

Forefoot is life.
Plantar fasciitis is life.
...
Click to expand...
Ya, definitely want all keywords in the name or website... podiatry, foot and ankle, podiatry, surgery, ingrown, whatever.

...and WTF is a linkedin profile? Isn't that for ppl looking for employee jobs? :)

Retrograde_Nail said:
You don't need to study. You will pass so the ABPM army becomes bigger and more powerful.
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Indeed.

clowns GIF by The 90th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
 
Feli said:
Ya, definitely want all keywords in the name or website... podiatry, foot and ankle, podiatry, surgery, ingrown, whatever.

...and WTF is a linkedin profile? Isn't that for ppl looking for employee jobs? :)


Indeed.

clowns GIF by The 90th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
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Your google profile can tell you how people are finding you. The words "podiatrist townname" and "townname podiatrist" account for essentially 95% of searches. And yeah linkedin is is a joke.

1714864376989.png

Can't remember who posted this but I cried laughing.
 
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Just here to expose some more lies for any residents and students reading this forum. ABPM pass rate is on par with other medical specialties and is not 99-100% like insinuated above.

Podiatry ABPM 85-88%: https://podiatryboard.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/2022_June_Newsletter.pdf

Orthopedic surgery ABOS 91%: Exam Stats | ABOS

General surgery ABS 95%: ABS Qualifying Exam: Everything You Need to Know to Pass

“Foot and ankle surgery” 66-82% : Exam Pass Rates

Facts over feelings. Said it before, and I will say it again. If you take ur ABFAS CBPS practice exam and show it to ur medical colleagues, they will laugh in your face and tell you what a joke your profession is. Has the exam improved over the past couple years? Yes. But it is still a terrible exam.
 
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PODIATRYCRAZE said:
Just here to expose some more lies for any residents and students reading this forum. ABPM pass rate is on par with other medical specialties and is not 99-100% like insinuated above.

Podiatry ABPM 85-88%: https://podiatryboard.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/2022_June_Newsletter.pdf

Orthopedic surgery ABOS 91%: Exam Stats | ABOS

General surgery ABS 95%: ABS Qualifying Exam: Everything You Need to Know to Pass

“Foot and ankle surgery” 66-82% : Exam Pass Rates

Facts over feelings. Said it before, and I will say it again. If you take ur ABFAS CBPS practice exam and show it to ur medical colleagues, they will laugh in your face and tell you what a joke your profession is. Has the exam improved over the past couple years? Yes. But it is still a terrible exam.
Click to expand...

ABFAS is made more difficult than ABPM so ABFAS cert pods can gatekeep and push out competition in their area who aren’t ABFAS cert. This isn’t an exam for competency it’s an exam against your peers.

This trend started when the same predatory owners we all talk about got grandfathered into the ABFAS cert and trickled down from there.

Everyone hates ABFAS cert til they become ABFAS cert then they say screw everyone else who isn’t ABFAS cert.

The reality is if you’ve been on staff at a hospital for years and have logs and haven’t rocked the boat and done bad work why should it matter if you are ABPM or ABFAS?
 
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HardRoadPaved said:
View attachment 386280
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There are a few folks on social media that slob all over the proverbial knob of ABFAS after passing in their final year of eligibility. They spend 6 years complaining about the gatekeeping function of ABFAS and then start touting its superiority once they finally pass. It’s sad, and laughable all at the same time. Only in Podiatry, where an inferiority complex is standard.
 
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dtrack22 said:
There are a few folks on social media that slob all over the proverbial knob of ABFAS after passing in their final year of eligibility. They spend 6 years complaining about the gatekeeping function of ABFAS and then start touting its superiority once they finally pass. It’s sad, and laughable all at the same time. Only in Podiatry, where an inferiority complex is standard.
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Few folks on social media? I think you mean the majority of ABFAS certified podiatrists in the modern age lol
 
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