Primary Source Information
The American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery (ABFAS) is the only foot and ankle surgery certification board recognized by the Council on Podiatric Medical Education (CPME) through the Specialty Boards Recognition Committee (SBRC).
In accordance with standards published by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) and The Joint Commission, ABFAS conducts primary source verification of the podiatric medical school graduation, residency training completion, and state licensure for each ABFAS Board Certified and Board Qualified podiatric surgeon.
The ABFAS verification report provides information about the DPM’s podiatric medical school graduation, completion of residency training, state licensure, and the DPM’s current board status and type and when that status was achieved and will expire.
Certified
Board Certified podiatric surgeons are Diplomates of ABFAS.
Ambulatory: A podiatric surgeon who became certified by the American Board of Ambulatory Surgery board before it joined with ABFAS.
Foot and Ankle Surgery: A podiatric surgeon who attained Board Certification before 1991 and holds a lifetime certificate. To maintain active certification, Diplomate must participate in ABFAS’ LEAD program of Continuous Certification.
Foot: A podiatric surgeon who has passed the ABFAS Part I and Part II foot surgery examinations, holds hospital privileges, and has an active license.
Reconstructive Rearfoot/Ankle (RRA): A podiatric surgeon who is certified in foot surgery and has also passed the ABFAS Part I and Part II RRA surgery examinations, holds hospital privileges, and has an active license.
Qualified
DPMs holding Board Qualified status are Board Eligible.
Foot: A podiatric surgeon who has passed the ABFAS Part I Foot surgery examinations, holds hospital privileges, and has an active license.
Reconstructive Rearfoot/Ankle (RRA): A podiatric surgeon who has passed the ABFAS Part I Foot surgery and has also passed the ABFAS Part I RRA surgery examinations, holds hospital privileges, and has an active license.
Active Statuses
Active: Engaged in the active practice of podiatry; has fulfilled all relevant exam requirements; maintains an active, unrestricted license; and holds current, active surgical privileges at a hospital or surgery center.
Active – Not Participating in Continuous Certification: A Board Certified podiatric surgeon holding Foot Surgery or Foot and RRA Surgery certified status who is not meeting the requirements of the LEAD program of Continuous Certification.
Administrative: Engaged primarily in an administrative capacity directly related to the profession of podiatry.
Expired: A board qualified or certified podiatric surgeon whose status has expired.
Extension (Board Qualified): A Board Qualified podiatric surgeon who has received an extension for the time period they can be qualified.
Extension (Board Certified): A Board Certified podiatric surgeon who is meeting all requirements of their certification and has been granted an extension of their certification.
Inactive: Not engaged in the active practice of podiatry.
Incomplete: A podiatric surgeon who has taken and passed the ABFAS Board Qualification examinations but has not submitted the necessary documentation to become fully qualified; a podiatric surgeon has one year after passing the board qualification examinations to submit the required documentation. After one year, the podiatric surgeon is non-compliant with ABFAS board qualification policy.
No Board Status: A podiatric surgeon who has graduated from, or is in their final year of, a CPME-approved residency program and who has not achieved ABFAS board status.
Non-compliant (Board Qualified): A podiatric surgeon who has taken the necessary exams but has not submitted all the required documentation within one year after passing Board Qualification exams to be declared Board Qualified.
Non-compliant (Board Certified): A Board Certified podiatric surgeon who became ABFAS certified before 1991 and holds a lifetime certificate who is not compliant with LEAD program of Continuous Certification requirements.
Surgically Inactive: Engaged in the active practice of podiatry but no longer has an active foot and/or ankle surgical practice; has fulfilled all relevant exam requirements; maintains an active, unrestricted license; holds current, active nonsurgical privileges at a hospital or surgery center.
Suspended Statuses
License: A board qualified or certified podiatric surgeon whose state podiatric license has been suspended or has expired.
RRA Surgery Status Suspended: A board qualified or certified podiatric surgeon whose Foot status has expired and who has met the requirements for RRA qualification or certification. The Foot status must be active in order for the RRA status to be active as well. If the Foot surgery status is not active, the RRA surgery status will show as Suspended.
Resigned: Has voluntarily given up certification.
Retired: An ABFAS Diplomate who has retired from active practice.
Revoked Statuses
Administrative: Unrelated to any professional review action (e.g., non-payment of annual fee or special assessment).
Legal: Upon professional review related to any of the following possibilities; misrepresents certification status or provides false information to ABFAS, has cheated on any ABFAS exam, violates the Code of Ethics of the APMA; conviction of either a felony related to the delivery of a healthcare item or service or any offense which causes his/her license revocation.
Please contact our verifications department if you have additional questions regarding suspended or revoked status.
Note: ABFAS transitioned its ten-year Maintenance of Certification programs to the new LEAD Continuous Certification Program in 2022. This program replaces the former Recertification and Self-Assessment examinations.
College Graduation
Physicians must graduate from a four-year podiatric medical college accredited by the Council on Podiatric Medical Education (CPME). ABFAS includes the name, graduation year, address, and telephone number of the college and the date the verification was performed.
Residency Information
For physicians who were required to complete CPME-approved residency training, the sponsoring institution is listed plus the program type, and the year completed. If the program is not closed, the address and telephone number are also listed. More than one residency may be listed.
POR: Podiatric Orthopedics Residency
PPMR: Primary Podiatric Medical Residency
PSR: Podiatric Surgical Residency (12 or 24 months)
PSR-24+: A PSR-24 program that took 36 months to complete
PM&S: Podiatric Medicine and Surgery Residency(24 or 36 months)
PMSR: Podiatric Medicine and Surgery Residency
PMSR/RRA: Podiatric Medicine and Surgery Residency with added credential in Reconstructive Rearfoot/Ankle Surgery
RPR: Rotating Podiatric Residency
License Information
ABFAS verifies the physician’s state podiatric license(s) upon application. The license is subsequently reverified when it nears the expiration date. ABFAS includes the licensing board’s address, telephone number, web site (if available), and the last verified date. Please contact the respective state for questions about the physician’s podiatric license status.
Questions?
Contact ABFAS at 415-553-7800 or verifications@abfas.org.