Overview
A new era in post-graduate medical education was ushered in by the recent adoption of the Council on Podiatric Medical Education?s (CPME) new Standards and Requirements for approval of podiatric residency programs (Document 320). Programs will now be required to become competency-driven, resource based and assessment evaluated, incorporating full scope of training in both podiatric medicine and surgery.
The Inova Fairfax Hospital Podiatric Residency Program, utilizing the vast
clinical resources available at Inova Fairfax Hospital and its affiliated institutions,
stands in the forefront of this new era by offering one of the most well-rounded
three year comprehensive medical and surgical podiatric training programs (PM and S
Program) available anywhere in the United States.
As one of the first programs evaluated under the new standards, the on-site team
from CPME noted in its summary of findings that the program not only far exceeded
the minimal required competencies and resources, but represents the "model"
for all programs reclassifying to the one of the new residency categories.
What Makes This Program Unique?
The program is sponsored by what one resident describes as "a big city hospital in a suburban environment." As a result, the program offers an outstandingly high volume, diverse surgical experience that far exceeds the requirements of the CPME, both in volume and diversity. Each resident can expect to scrub with more than 40 podiatric, and uniquely, an equal number of orthopedic surgical attendings, on over 1200 cases involving over 2400 procedures, of which more than 500 are in the reconstructive/ankle category.
The program is fully integrated within the GME community of Inova Fairfax Hospital, with its house staff of over 150, including 19 residency and fellowship programs. Residents function as equals with allopathic residents during their core general medical and surgical rotations.
Senior residents have the opportunity to function as a chief resident in lower extremity reconstruction and limb salvage, under the auspices of a world-renowned plastic surgeon at the Limb Salvage Center at Georgetown University Medical Center. Senior Residents have the opportunity to evaluate and treat their own patients at the Kaiser Permanente clinics in Northern Virginia, where they can schedule and perform surgical procedures, and then follow them throughout the perioperative period. This provides a unique opportunity for transition into private practice or teaching.
