Verification FAQs

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ABFAS provides answers to many frequently asked questions from credentialers. Have a question that is not listed here? Email us at verifications@abfas.org

 


General FAQs

  • How do I retrieve a lost password?

    You can retrieve your username and/or password by clicking on the "Forgot username?" and "Forgot password?" links on the  ABFAS login page and following the prompts. If you are unable to request a password online, call ABFAS at 415-553-7800.


Membership

  • What types of foot and ankle surgeons does ABFAS certify?
    ABFAS has two types of candidates, Board Certified and Board Qualified. Each candidate type has further distinctions:


    Board Certified:

    • Ambulatory: A podiatric surgeon who became certified by the American Board of Ambulatory Surgery before it joined with ABFAS.

    • Foot and Ankle Surgery: A podiatric surgeon who became ABFAS Board Certified before 1991.
    • 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.

    Board Certified podiatric surgeons are Diplomates of ABFAS.

    Board Qualified:

    • 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.
  • What are the different ABFAS candidate status types?

    TYPE
    • Certified: Ambulatory, Foot and Ankle Surgery, Foot, Reconstructive Rearfoot/Ankle (RRA)
    • Qualified: Foot, Reconstructive Rearfoot/Ankle (RRA)
    STATUS      

    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.

    Administrative: Engaged primarily in an administrative capacity directly related to the profession of podiatry.

    Expired: A Board Qualified or Board Certified podiatric surgeon whose status has expired.

    Extension: A Board Qualified podiatric surgeon who has received an extension for the time period they can be Board Qualified or a Diplomate who has been given additional time to complete LEAD program requirements.

    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 Board 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: A podiatric surgeon who has taken the necessary ABFAS Board Qualification examinations but did not submit all required documentation within one year of passing the Board Qualification examinations. A Board Certified podiatric surgeon holding foot and ankle certified status who is not compliant with LEAD program requirements.

    Surgically Inactive: Engaged in the active practice of podiatry but no longer has an active foot and ankle surgical practice; has fulfilled all relevant exam requirements; maintains an active, unrestricted license; and holds current, active privileges at a hospital or surgery center.

    Suspended: A Board Qualified or Board Certified podiatric surgeon whose Foot status has expired and who has met the requirements for RRA Board Qualification or Board Certification. The Foot status must be active in order for the RRA status to be active as well.

    Resigned: A podiatric surgeon who has voluntarily given up Board Certification.

    Retired: An ABFAS Diplomate who has retired from active practice.

    Revoked:
    • 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, or 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 that causes their license revocation.
    Please contact our verifications department if you have additional questions regarding suspended or revoked status.

    NOTE: ABFAS does not have a board eligible status.


Certification

  • What is the difference between Board Qualified and Board Certified?

    Board Qualified status indicates that a podiatric surgeon has passed the Part I examination(s), holds hospital privileges, and has an active license. Individuals who are Board Qualified are not members of ABFAS but are “in progress.”

    Board Certified status indicates that the podiatric surgeon has passed the Part II examination(s), holds hospital privileges, and has an active license. Individuals with Board Certified status are members of ABFAS.

  • Do foot and ankle orthopedic surgeons take a board certification exam as well?

    Yes. The American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS) offers voluntary board certification. ABOS candidates undertake a Part I written examination and a Part II oral examination.


Verification Credentialers

  • Does ABFAS have a Board Eligible status?

    NOTE: DPMs holding Board Qualification status are Board Eligible.

    In order for a candidate to be eligible to register for ABFAS Board Qualification examinations they must fulfill the following requirements:

    -Graduate with a Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (DPM) degree
    -Complete a CPME- approved 3-year minimum residency program

  • What information is provided on an ABFAS verification report?

    Hospitals and other credentialing organizations pay for individual verifications of podiatric surgeons undergoing the ABFAS Board Certification process. ABFAS does not release any information about passed or failed exams. The ABFAS verification report provides information about the DPM’s podiatric medical school graduation, completion of residency training, state licensure, current board status, and when that status was achieved and will expire. 

    In accordance with standards published by the National Committee for Quality Assurance and The Joint Commission, ABFAS conducts primary source verification of the podiatric medical school graduation, completion of residency training, and state licensure for each ABFAS Board Certified and Board Qualified podiatric surgeon. 

  • How do I obtain a verification of certification for a doctor I work for?

    A credentialer or organization is able to obtain a copy of a status verification through our website. If there is an existing account, you can access it by logging in through our Verification page.  ABFAS collects a $35 fee per verification report for credentialing organizations.