Page 27 - WesternU View Summer 2019
P. 27
WesternU College of Podiatric Medicine Dean’s
Lecture: redefining the role of podiatric medicine
By Rodney Tanaka
Podiatric physicians and surgeons are trained alongside students to have the education, training and certification
their allopathic and osteopathic peers, have proven to be that would allow them to be licensed as physicians and
equal in their ability to care for patients and should be surgeons in California.
licensed accordingly.
The task force found results similar to those in the 1993
That was the message from Franklin J. Medio, PhD, Medio-Nelson report. And the WesternU College of
keynote speaker for the fourth annual Western University Podiatric Medicine, which places Doctor of Podiatric
of Health Sciences College of Podiatric Medicine Dean’s Medicine students in many of the same classes as College
Distinguished Lecture March 13, 2019 on WesternU’s of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific DO students, is
Pomona, California campus. close to meeting the
requirements for a Physicians
Medio, who is president of
and Surgeons Certificate
Consulting Services for the
awarded to MDs and DOs,
Health Professions, presented
Medio said.
“The Recognition of Podiatric
Medicine as a Medical-Surgical CPM students take the same
Specialty: Breaking Down basic science courses, go
Barriers through Education and through the same clinical
Training.” rotations and are evaluated by
the same clinical faculty as
Medio has worked with
allopathic (MD) and COMP students, he said.
osteopathic (DO) physicians as “The other things we found
well as podiatric physicians and over four years of visiting the
surgeons. In 1993, Medio and same institutions and talking to
Thos. L. Nelson, MD, co- MDs and DOs that teach the
authored the “Report on the podiatric students and the
General Medical and Surgical podiatric residents was an echo
Components of Podiatric Franklin J. Medio, PhD of what we heard 20 years
Residency Training in ago,” Medio said. “Not only
California: A Report to the Medical Board of California were podiatric students well prepared, not only did they
and the Board of Podiatric Medicine in California.” conduct themselves as professionals, they handled their
patient care responsibilities very well, and they performed
Medio and Nelson visited the MDs and DOs who were
training podiatric residents to determine their at or above their MD or DO peers. We heard the same
preparedness and performance relative to their medical thing about the residents.”
colleagues. Medio said he does not consider podiatry a separate
profession from allopathic and osteopathic physicians.
“The results were extremely positive. The podiatric
Dentistry, pharmacy, and optometry have unique qualities
residents shined very brightly in their ability to handle
and are different professions, he said. But podiatrists
their patient care responsibilities. Many of them were
perform a complete history and physical examination of
indistinguishable from their MD and DO peers,” Medio
patients. They order lab tests. If a patient has a medical
said. “They were able to perform according to the
problem that’s outside of their scope, they call for a
expectations and standards of the medical faculty.”
consultation.
In 2011, this topic was re-evaluated by a joint task force
“They manage patients just like any other physician. I
of the California Medical Association (CMA), the
don’t see the difference,” Medio said. “As far as podiatric
California Orthopaedic Association (COA), Osteopathic
medicine and surgery, I see it as a subspecialty. You are
Physicians and Surgeons of California (OPSC) and the
primary care providers. In many cases, you are the entry
California Podiatric Medical Association (CPMA). Medio
n
into the health care system for patients.”
served as a consultant. The goal was to prepare podiatric
WESTERNU VIEW Summer/Fall 2019 | 25
