Dr. Board,

ABPM Voices Concerns Over CPME's Lack of Transparency and Failure to Disclose Conflicts of Interest During Public Session

October 22, 2023

The ABPM attended the Public Session of the Council on Podiatric Medical Education (CPME) October 20, 2023 meeting at the Westin Fort Lauderdale Resort. During public comments, ABPM President Dr. Lee Rogers questioned CPME's secrecy of Committee and Council Member conflicts of interest. In a recent complaint to CPME, the ABPM listed 8 different CPME members who were discovered to have actual conflicts of interest with the American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery (ABFAS), as defined in Council Bylaws and Policies. The Chair-elect of the Council (and current Vice-chair) sits on the Board of Directors of the ABFAS. The Chair of the Specialty Board Recognition Committee (SBRC), responsible for enforcing the standards of recognition, is a member of the ABFAS Exam Committee. Yet these conflicts were discovered by ABPM's own research and not disclosed by the CPME.

In response to ABPM's written complaint, the CPME wrote, "The panel could find no federal requirement to make signed Conflict of Interest forms available to the public. However, conflicts of interest are clearly noted in meeting minutes."

The ABPM contends that a federal law should not need to be the threshold for CPME to be transparent with the public. Furthermore, CPME's defense that "conflicts are clearly noted in meeting minutes" is disingenuous since the Council does not make the meeting minutes of the public sessions available to the profession or the public. ABPM further questions the veracity of that claim since at the beginning of the recent CPME meeting, there was not a review of existing conflicts of interest, only an inquiry if a member had any new conflicts to report.

CPME's response to ABPM reported that 1 of the 8 members in question recused themselves from a committee where a conflict existed.

Dr. Rogers told the Council, "This lack of transparency calls into question the legitimacy of Council actions, not only for certifying boards, but it is a threat to all the Council's activities, and thus, the profession."

In addition to secrecy created by CPME's non-disclosure of conflicts of interest and meeting minutes, the Council also limits public access to its meetings. During the October 20, 2023 meeting, one podiatrist member of the public was granted time to address the Council and was placed on the agenda. However, this podiatrist was unable to attend in person and the CPME refused to accommodate a request for virtual appearance stating that was not an option. After two committee chairs gave their reports to the CPME virtually, Dr. Rogers inquired to the Council why the public member was not allowed the same courtesy. The CPME Executive Director stated that committee members may attend virtually, but the public must attend in person.

Please click to read the ABPM's report of the October 20, 2023 CPME Public Session.

The ABPM will publish its report after each CPME public session until the CPME makes their meeting minutes available to the public and the profession.

ABPM stands firm with the goal to move podiatry forward, striving for fairness, transparency, and removing discriminatory barriers to practice.