Information for Health Facilities
The Podiatric Medical Board of CA (PMBC) - PMBC licenses Doctors of Podiatric Medicine (DPMs) under the Business and Professions Code, Sec. 2460 et al. There are approximately 2,220 DPMs practicing in California. The Medical Board of California takes complaints and conducts investigations for DPM cases just as it does for MDs.
Accreditation - The Council on Podiatric Medical Education (CPME) is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education for accrediting schools of podiatric medicine. CPME also approves residency programs and CME providers, and recognizes specialty boards. Contact: CPME, 9312 Old Georgetown Road, Bethesda, MD 20814. (301) 571-9200.
Licensure Requirements - Current State law requires: (1) graduation from a PMBC-approved podiatric medical school, (2) passing the national boards Parts I, II and III administered by the Chauncey Group International, a subsidiary of the Educational Testing Service, for the National Board of Podiatric Medical Examiners, and (3) completion of at least two years of PMBC-approved graduate medical education.
Resident’s License - Postgraduate residents must possess a "Resident’s License" from PMBC. This license limits the resident to participation in a specified training program during a specified one-year period. This training license authorizes the resident to participate fully in rotations as required or approved by CPME and the hospital. Medical residents must always be supervised [§70705, Department of Health Services regulations]. §2483 of the State Medical Practice Act, CPME, and PMBC require applicants to be trained comprehensively in medicine. §§ 2475-2476 require that podiatric students and residents be supervised by an MD or DO when the work takes them beyond the scope of their eventual medical specialty.
Scope of Practice - Podiatric Medicine means the diagnosis, medical, surgical, mechanical, manipulative, and electrical treatment of the human foot, including the ankle and tendons that insert into the foot and the nonsurgical treatment of the muscles and tendons of the leg governing the functions of the foot. Additionally, a DPM with training or experience in wound care may treat ulcers resulting from local and systemic etiologies on the leg no further proximal than the tibial tubercle. For more specifics please review current California law at BPC, Sec. 2472, DPM's Scope of Practice.
Podiatric Medical Schools - CPME requires a four-year didactic and clinical curriculum similar to that of medical schools, but with an emphasis on the lower extremity. PMBC has approved nine CPME-accredited schools, including the California School of Podiatric Medicine (CSPM) located at Samuel Merritt University in Oakland and St. Mary's Medical Center Campus in San Francisco. Administrative contact: 3100 Telegraph Ave, Oakland, CA 94609. (800) 607-6377, https://www.samuelmerritt.edu/programs/doctor-podiatric-medicine and Western University College of Podiatric Medicine, University of Pomona, 309 E. Second St. Pomona, CA 91766-1854, 909-623-6116, https://www.westernu.edu/podiatricmedicine/about/contact/
Graduate Medical Education - CPME approves two categories: Podiatric Medicine and Surgery–24 (PM&S-24) and Podiatric Medicine and Surgery–36 (PM&S-36). Residencies in California must also be approved by PMBC. Board regulations require that all hospitals sponsoring programs designate a director of medical education, provide emergency medical training through emergency room rotations, measure and evaluate the progress of participants and program effectiveness, and meet the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education's (ACGME) institutional requirements applicable to all medical residencies, in addition to CPME standards.
Specialty Certification – Three specialty certifying boards are currently approved under California law: The American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery, the American Board of Podiatric Medicine , and the American Board of Multiple Specialties in Podiatry. Internet links are provided on PMBC’s website. For further information about ABFAS, contact: ABFAS, 445 Fillmore Street, San Francisco, CA 94117-3404 (415) 553-7801, https://www.abfas.org/. For ABPM: 1060 Aviation Blvd., #100, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254 (310) 375-0700. And for ABMSP: 555 8th Ave Suite 1902, New York, NY 10018 (888) 852-1442.
Continuing Competence/License Renewal - At each two-year renewal, DPMs must certify compliance with at least one of several continuing competence indicators as well as 50 hours of CME. DPM biennial renewal fees are $1318, which finances enhanced licensing services, model programs such as Continuing Competence (PMBC is the first doctor-licensing board in the country to implement this long-advocated reform), and rigorous, uncompromised consumer protection law enforcement.
Ethics - The American Podiatric Medical Association has adopted a Code of Ethics for Podiatric Medical Doctors and it can be found at: https://www.apma.org/files/APMA%20Medical%20Ethics%202018%20-%20ASM%20Assistants.pdf
Podiatric Resource for California - The California Podiatric Medical Association (CPMA) is the state affiliate of the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA). CPMA, 2430 K Street, Suite 200, Sacramento, CA 95816, (916) 448-0248
