19 minute read
THE ABFAS COMMITMENT TO STUDENT RECRUITING
by ABFAS
ABFAS Pledges $50K
for APMA Student Recruitment
ABFAS is pleased to announce a special contribution of $25,000 to support the American Podiatric Medical Association’s (APMA) ongoing efforts in student recruiting and retention. This most recent contribution is in addition to ABFAS’ five-year commitment of a $25,000 annual allocation that started in 2019, and doubles ABFAS support for fiscal year 2021
to $50,000.
ABFAS has served as a longtime partner in APMA’s student recruitment activities. Factoring in this 2021 allocation, the ABFAS contribution toward this good work has totaled $125,000, supporting the initial market research development and efforts such as the Step into Podiatry website, as well as advertising and paid social media.
2021-22 ABFAS President Amberly C. Paradoa, DPM, agrees, stating, “We’re pleased that ABFAS is in a position to help, and we on the Board of Directors encourage the entire podiatric community to support these important efforts.”
ABFAS 2022 Booth Exhibits and Conferences
New York State Podiatric Medical Association Clinical Conference January 20-23, 2022 | New York, NY
Florida Podiatric Medical Association Science & Management Symposium January 26-30, 2022 | Orlando, FL
American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons (ACFAS) Annual Scientific Conference February 24-27, 2022 | Austin, TX
Midwest Podiatry Conference April 6-9, 2022 | Chicago, IL
The Western Foot and Ankle Conference June 23-26, 2022 | Anaheim, CA American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) Annual Scientific Meeting July 28-31, 2022 | Orlando, FL
American Society of Podiatric Surgeons (ASPS) Annual Surgical Conference November 4-5, 2022 | New Orleans, LA
Conference appearances are your opportunity to meet the ABFAS Board of Directors and committee members!
From left to right: Michelle Butterworth, DPM, and Christopher Lotufo, DPM, greeted visitors to the ABFAS booth at the ACFAS Annual Scientific Meeting in Las Vegas in May 2021. In July 2021, John Marcoux, DPM (left) and ABFAS President William Adams, DPM, were on-hand to say hello at the APMA meeting in Denver.
Can Patients Find You?
ABFAS encourages Diplomates to log in at abfas.org to complete the “Directory Address” section of their profiles with updated professional information. The address you input powers the ABFAS website’s popular Find a Surgeon feature, so periodically reviewing and refreshing your data ensures patients in your area can find you online. If you practice at more than one facility, be sure to list your website.
Keep in Touch with ABFAS
ABFAS uses email as the primary method of communicating announcements and details to Diplomates. To ensure you are receiving ABFAS emails, make sure you add lead@abfas.org, info@abfas.org, updates@abfas.org, and scheduling@abfas.org to your email inbox safe sender list.
Incoming ABFAS officers attend the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) Annual Scientific Meeting in Denver in July 2021. From left, President-elect Jeffery L. Giesking, DPM; Secretary/Treasurer Nicole A. Bauerly, DPM; and President Amberly C. Paradoa, DPM.
ABFAS 2021 Highlights
In 2021, ABFAS continued to provide service to Diplomates and candidates while taking steps to keep its volunteers and staff safe during the time of COVID-19. As the pandemic wears on, ABFAS has normalized many of the precautions put into place in 2020, taking in stride the necessary alterations to the normal cycles of exam development and testing.
The ABFAS office in San Francisco reopened on October 1, 2021, with staff on staggered schedules and practicing masking and social distancing while in the building. CEO/Executive Director Katherine Kreiter continues to solicit staff input and ABFAS will continue to adjust to conditions as they evolve.
The staff is happy that the COVID-19 adjustments we have made have allowed us to get our work done, and we look forward to taking advantage of some of our new processes as we return to working together in person.
New Board Officers and Directors
ABFAS conducted elections for three open Board of Directors positions in Spring 2021, announcing the results in May. One incumbent, Nicole A. Bauerly, DPM, of Minnesota, will rejoin the board. Joining the board for their first terms are Michael D. Dujela, DPM, of Washington and Roland S. Ramdass, DPM, of Virginia. All three members have terms that began on September 1, 2021 and will end on August 31, 2024.
The ABFAS Board of Directors also elected its new officers for the 2021-22 term: President Amberly C. Paradoa, DPM, of Florida; President-elect Jeffrey L. Giesking, DPM, of Wisconsin; and Dr. Bauerly as Secretary/Treasurer. William R. Adams, DPM, of Kentucky has assumed the role of Immediate Past President.
Positive Changes in the Certification Process
In 2020, ABFAS began allowing residents to count passed Final Year In-training Exams (ITEs) toward Board Qualification, replaced the Part I Computer-based Patient Simulation (CBPS) exams with the NEW CBPS exams (one each for foot surgery and reconstructive rearfoot and ankle (RRA) surgery), and eliminated the Part II CBPS exams.
This slimming-down effect resulted in a streamlined Board Qualification and Certification process for candidates. What’s more, these efforts have already borne fruit; 100 candidates passed all four ITEs in the Fall of their final year of residency, with eight more months before completing their programs: the Foot Surgery Didactic, NEW Foot Surgery CBPS, RRA Surgery Didactic, and NEW RRA Surgery CBPS. These candidates are already well on their way toward Board Certification in Foot and RRA Surgery.
Imminent Launch of Continuous Certification
In addition to its customary work of revising and administering Board Qualification and Certification exams and aiding candidates through the process, ABFAS volunteers and staff have turned much of their energy toward the imminent transition from the now-retired Recertification and Self-assessment exams to the LEAD Continuous Certification program. Participants are preparing to move into the final stage of the LEAD pilot program, while staff members are putting finishing touches on the online LEAD interface for Diplomates.
ABFAS wants the transition to be as seamless as possible for Diplomates, so the organization has also engaged in a major communications campaign to equip Diplomates with the information and resources—much of it featured in these pages—they will need to thrive in the new LEAD program when it launches in January 2022.
ABFAS Board of Directors
President
Amberly C. Paradoa, DPM Vero Beach, FL Board term 2019-22
Secretary/Treasurer
Nicole A. Bauerly, DPM Minneapolis, MN Board term 2021-24
At Large Positions
Michelle L. Butterworth, DPM Kingstree, SC Board term 2019-22
John T. Marcoux, DPM Sudbury, MA Board term 2020-23
Katie M. Swanstrom, DPM Spokane, WA Board term 2020-23
President-elect
Jeffery L. Giesking, DPM Menomonie, WI Board term 2020-23
Immediate Past President
William R. Adams, DPM Paducah, KY Board term 2019-22
Michael D. Dujela, DPM Olympia, WA Board term 2021-24
Roland S. Ramdass, DPM Winchester, VA Board term 2021-24
Seeing Eye to Eye with Albert Burns
Marking the Service of a Longtime ABFAS Volunteer
By John Venson, DPM, and Sarah Schneider, DPM
Following service with the U.S. Army that included a tour in Vietnam, Albert Burns graduated in 1978 from the California College of Podiatric Medicine (CCPM, now CSPM), completed his residency training in 1980, and achieved certification with the American Board of Podiatric Surgery (now ABFAS) in 1982.
In addition to his private practice in Pacifica, California, Dr. Burns has held a longstanding dedication to the education of podiatric students and residents. At CCPM/CSPM, Al has served as a residency director, professor of surgery, and chair of the Department of Surgery. From 2002-08, Al served as Dean of CSPM while navigating the school’s merger with Samuel Merritt University in Oakland.
From left to right: Albert Burns, DPM, with his daughters. To mark his years of service, ABFAS presented Dr. Burns with a bobblehead in his likeness!
In his spare time, Dr. Burns has authored numerous articles and lectured widely, while also serving the profession through the American Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine (AACPM), Council on Podiatric Medical Education (CPME), and Joint Committee on the Recognition of Specialty Boards (JCRSB), among others.
Dr. Burns has been a valued member of the ABFAS community since 1984, when he began service on the Credentials Committee. He served on, and was chair of, both the Oral and Written Examination Committees. Never shy about sharing his opinion, Al was elected to the ABPS Board of Directors in 1992, serving as President from 1996-97. The ultimate volunteer, Al has served on every examination committee.
Dr. Burns loves to travel and explore new places. He has returned to Vietnam multiple times on medical missions. While he enjoys visiting isolated tropical locales, Scotland is his favorite country to visit. Not only does Dr. Burns have Scottish heritage, but he also enjoys that country’s spectacular golf courses, as the game has been a passion since he was a child. When visiting a new country, Dr. Burns must always see what is around every corner and over every hill—and of course, he always wants to eat what the locals eat!
He now resides in San Diego, CA, where he devotes most of his time to raising his twin daughters, who share his love for travel, golf, swimming, and dogs. They enjoy long walks with their 90-pound American Staffordshire Terrier named Pretty Girl. Living close to the ocean, Al likes to relax by watching the sunset with a good bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon.
One final memory: no one who was present will ever forget the now-legendary moment in ABFAS history when Dr. Burns and colleagues were visiting Costa Rica and a four-foot iguana leapt onto Al’s chest at breakfast to look at him eye to eye.
Thank You, ABFAS Staff
I wanted to take a moment to publicly acknowledge the extraordinary efforts of the ABFAS staff, or the Didactics as we call ourselves, over the past two years.
Didactics: the pandemic has been hard on you, I know, just as it has been hard on our Diplomates and candidates. In the early days of the pandemic, when Pearson VUE testing centers closed and nationwide travel ground to a halt, you deftly and professionally began a systematic review of all ABFAS functions, programming, and meetings, making plans for how you could immediately begin to provide your normal high level of service.
I admire the way you quickly adjusted to the new normal, moving and cancelling exam dates, working out how these changes impacted the certification pathway for hundreds of physicians, and quickly adapting to remote work. Somehow, at the same time, you rolled out a new leaner, cleaner certification pathway and a more user-friendly exam registration system, implemented online exams and remote Case Review, assisted candidates with their concerns over cancelled and rescheduled exams, staffed virtual conferences, and facilitated the first-ever virtual ABFAS Annual Meeting and Stone Awards ceremony. Now, in 2021, the team is working together to move the entire organization into position to embrace the new Continuous Certification program.
What’s more, during this time, life continued. Some team members departed our now-virtual community while other team members have come aboard. Three of you have welcomed new family members.
Perhaps most remarkably, you have accomplished all this while seeing one another infrequently or not at all—which has meant no informal watercooler chitchat, not being present to laugh at one another’s jokes, and being unable to lend to one another your usual in-person support and sympathy during the darkest days of the pandemic.
On behalf of the ABFAS Board of Directors, ABFAS volunteers, and myself, thank you for your professionalism, dedication, and pursuit of the ABFAS mission in 2020 and 2021.
I am proud to be a member of this team.
On May 11, 2021, ABFAS President William Adams, DPM, presented via virtual meeting the 2021 Michael L. Stone, DPM, Outstanding Professional Conduct Awards to nine outstanding individuals. The presentation is available for viewing at vimeo.com/abfas. Annual awardees are determined by the professors and fellow students at their respective podiatric medical colleges, and represent the highest standard of professionalism, deportment, and ethics in the students’ interactions with peers, professors, and staff. The recipients receive a plaque and a cash award of $2,000 to be used at the student’s discretion. The award is named for Michael L. Stone, DPM. The Outstanding Professional Conduct Award dates to 2003, and upon Dr. Stone’s passing in 2004, ABFAS named the award for him as a testimony to his dedication for the continuing elevation of the educational standards of the podiatric profession. Dr. Stone gave generously of his time and energy as a member of committees, as an officer, as president, and as the longest serving member of the Board of Directors. He was deeply committed to elevating the standards and quality of residency training, and was the embodiment of outstanding professional conduct, respect, and ethics.
Please join ABFAS in congratulating the 2021 Michael L. Stone, DPM, Outstanding Professional Conduct Award winners!
Benjamin Bogert | Des Moines University College of Podiatric Medicine and Surgery
Benjamin Bogert earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Athletic Training from Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon. After working as a medical scribe in a podiatry clinic, he was inspired to pursue a career as a podiatrist. At Des Moines University College of Podiatric Medicine and Surgery, he was honored to serve as 2021 Class President, Student Ambassador, Student Interviewer, Editor of the CPMS FootNotes newsletter, and Lower Limb Anatomy teaching assistant. He also dedicated his time and energy to volunteering with Special Olympics, Junior Olympics, and podiatry advocacy events. Benjamin was the recipient of several scholarships and awards at DMU, most notably the CPMS Student of the Year Award. In the future, he hopes to serve in a teaching capacity, either in academia or as a residency attending. Outside of podiatry, Benjamin enjoys basketball, running, board games, podcasts, and spending time with his wife and three children.
Neenah Aguirre-Wong | Arizona School of Podiatric Medicine at Midwestern University
Neenah Aguirre-Wong was born and raised in Miami, Florida and completed her BS in Biology at Reed College in Portland, Oregon. She states she is grateful to have found her passion for podiatry while working as a medical scribe in the years following her undergraduate degree. While at Midwestern, Aguirre-Wong served as the Secretary of the American Association for Women Podiatrists (AAWP), participated in various research posters, and worked as a Gross Anatomy tutor and surgical Teaching Assistant. Some of her favorite extracurricular achievements include volunteering at the annual Special Olympics events as well as presenting research at the annual Bone Lab for Local Search and Rescue/FBI. One precious student memory: winning the Midwestern Suture-Off Competition sponsored by the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons (ACFAS). In the future, Aguirre-Wong hopes to “pay it forward” with continued volunteer work, a teaching position, and active involvement in the podiatric community. Her passions also extend to the outdoors, where she enjoys mountaineering, motorcycle road trips, tennis, and mountain biking with her dog Rodney.
Samuel Clellen | Barry University School of Podiatric Medicine
Sam Clellen was born into and raised by a loving, hardworking family in Shaker Heights, Ohio. After completing his undergraduate degree and gap year of working as a carpenter, he made the move to south Florida to attend Barry University. After excelling in classes in his first year, he decided to pursue the dual degree DPM/MBA program, taking on an entirely new, additional curriculum. Clellen has been a recipient of numerous merit-based scholarships and has become a member of the Pi Delta National Honors Society and Beta Gamma Sigma Honors Society, which is reserved for top business school students. Also at Barry, Clellan has held numerous leadership roles, including class Vice President, and worked as an anatomy teaching assistant and tutor. He has volunteered in many homeless healthcare clinics and food drives in the Miami area, as well as a medical mission trip to the Dominican Republic in 2018. Outside of podiatry, he loves sports, traveling, and trying new foods.
Jae Yoon Kim | California School of Podiatric Medicine at Samuel Merritt University
Jae Yoon Kim was born and raised in Seoul, Korea. He moved to Texas at age 13 and quickly learned English. He graduated high school at the Texas Academy of Math and Science, an early college entrance residential program for gifted students. Jae Yoon completed his undergraduate degree in Integrative Biology at the UC Berkeley. At the California School of Podiatric Medicine, Jae Yoon established the Podiatric Education Society, an outreach organization that spreads awareness of podiatric medicine to prospective students and local communities. He was chapter president of the American Professional Wound Care Association (APWCA) and served as peer tutor for multiple courses. Jae Yoon has received high distinction for research presented at the ACFAS Annual Scientific Conference in 2020 and has published work in the National Foot and Ankle Review. He has been awarded numerous scholarships such as the National Student of the Year Award. Outside of school, Jae Yoon enjoys playing the violin, cooking, and playing golf and tennis.
Akshitha Sreeram | Dr. William M. Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
Akshitha Sreeram was born in India and raised in Kenosha, Wisconsin. She attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison for her undergraduate degree in Neuroscience. She worked in the Ashton lab for three years, earned a grant, and published research in stem cell engineering. During her time at Scholl College, Akshitha has excelled academically and achieved the Second Year Distinguished Scholar Award, APMA Student Scholarship, and the Bako Medical Education Scholarship. She has devoted over 100 service hours to help run the interprofessional community clinic, which provides care for underinsured patients in Lake Forest, Illinois. She also pursued clinical research in the Center for Lower Extremity Ambulatory Research at Scholl. Finally, she served as an ambassador to prospective medical students and as a tutor in lower extremity anatomy and physiology. Outside of school, she enjoys traveling and adventure sports. Akshitha looks forward to a rewarding career of becoming a well-rounded podiatrist and hopes to teach in the future.
Taylor Saucier | Kent State University College of Podiatric Medicine
Taylor Saucier received her Bachelor of Science degree in Biomedical Sciences from Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. While there, she was also a member of the school’s Division I women’s soccer team. In 2014 and 2015, her team won back-to-back SEC regular season and tournament titles, in addition to being NCAA Women’s College Cup Semi-Finalists. It was during her athletic career at Texas A&M that she first became interested in the field of podiatry. During her medical career at Kent State University College of Podiatric Medicine, Taylor remained at the top of her class and made the Dean’s List each semester. She was also granted the yearly KSUCPM Merit Scholarship and APMA Educational Foundation Scholarship. Taylor’s dedication to her chosen profession is evident in that she served as a student ambassador, teaching assistant, tutor, and American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine (AAPSM) club president. Outside of school, Taylor enjoys hiking, weightlifting, trying new restaurants, and volunteering at her local church.
Thomas Milisits | New York College of Podiatric Medicine
Thomas Milisits is a New York native who received his undergraduate degree at Fairfield University in Connecticut. He became interested in Podiatry his freshman year of college and never looked back. While at New York College of Podiatric Medicine, Thomas spent much of his time in leadership and research roles. He was Student Body President, ACFAS Research Coordinator, PMR Peer Reviewer, and a Student Ambassador, and was voted Student of the Year by the entire NYCPM community for his dedication to leadership and advancing the profession. Thomas took advantage of NYCPM’s dual degree option and completed his Master of Public Health degree in Healthcare Management at the prestigious Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. With this experience, Thomas hopes to start an overseas non-profit organization one day in deformity correction for people without access to proper care. Outside of podiatry, he enjoys traveling, reading, walking his new mini goldendoodle Cooper, the Yankees, and NFL Sundays.
Michelle Garcia | Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine
Michelle Garcia is a Connecticut native whose path to podiatric medicine was driven by her romanticized notion of being the next Indiana Jones. She received a Master of Science degree in Human Evolution and Behaviour from the University of College London, participated in archaeological digs, and taught anthropology at a small liberal arts college in Maine. Once enrolled at Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine, she dedicated herself to leadership, research, and community outreach. As Vice President of the Christian Club, she spearheaded a collaborative outreach to the homeless in the Jeff Hope program. She presented a poster entitled “A Literature Review Exploring the Use of Botulinum Toxin A Injection Therapy for Chronic Exertional Compartment Syndrome Treatment” and placed third at the 2020 APMA Annual Scientific Conference. Academically, Michelle earned a high ranking, competitive GPA, was awarded various merit scholarships, and is a Pi Delta Honor Society Candidate. Outside of podiatry, she enjoys hiking and running.
Kira Cramer | Western University of Health Sciences College of Podiatric Medicine
Kira Cramer is a southern California native who earned a Bachelor of Science in biology from the University of California, Los Angeles. She competed for several years in lower extremity sports as a national level Taekwondo athlete and club soccer player. These experiences, in addition to being a podiatric medical scribe, made the pursuit of foot and ankle surgery an intuitive choice. While at Western University, Kira served as President of the American Academy of Sports Medicine, Editor in Chief of Extremitas: The Journal of Lower Limb Medicine, and a student ambassador. She has published work in The Journal of Foot and Ankle Surgery on “Fellowships in Podiatric Medicine” and has worked with the APMA at legislative conferences to advocate for podiatric legislation. Outside of academics, she engages in community-based activities such as Special Olympics, Happy Feet, and other student-run events. She has been awarded Western University student of the month, research grants, and APMA educational scholarships.
Help Us Remain #FootFirst!
We’re continuing our crowdsourcing campaign, seeking foot and ankle surgical photos from residents, candidates, and Diplomates. Email footfirst@abfas.org with photos of you performing surgery, interacting with feet, performing on feet, or just hanging out with other DPMs. We’ll feature our favorites in our publications and on social media!
Walter Strash, DPM, performs an arthroscopy of the ankle at Christus Santa Rosa Hospital in San Antonio.
Josh Sebag, DPM, holds an acetabular reamer alongside his colleagues Drew Iman, DO, (center) and PGY2 Samantha Williams, DPM (right). The team performed a partial talectomy, femoral head autographing, and TTC fusion for Avascular Necrosis of the ankle at St. Lucie Medical Center in Port St. Lucie, Florida.
