On April 11, 2018, leaders from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons, the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society, and the American Podiatric Medical Association came together in Chicago for a first-of-its-kind meeting of a Joint Task Force of Podiatric Foot and Ankle Surgeons and Orthopaedic Surgeons.
The task force will work to enact policy initiatives, both at the state and federal levels, that are of mutual benefit to podiatric foot and ankle surgeons, orthopaedic surgeons, and their patients. It will also examine the education and training of graduates from colleges of podiatric medicine with the goal of consensus on options for education, training, and certification.
“The first meeting of our task force was full of positive energy,” said John Steinberg, DPM, FACFAS, President of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons and co-chair of the task force.
“It was the first of many meetings to come and is a great example of the collaborative spirit of our two professions,” said Steven Ross, MD, co-chair. Dr. Ross is presently President-elect of the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society and Clinical Professor and Chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at UC Irvine Medical Center.
