History Repeats?

Didn't the Michener Chiropody Program shut down for a full year for a "program review" just a couple of years ago? Sounds ominous. Somebody put a bullet in that mule once and for all to end everybody's misery.
Let's move to the DPM - Podiatry model here in Ontario consistent with what exists elsewhere in North America, including now Quebec. The DPM education level is time tested and universally accepted throughout North America and beyond. In other jursidictions,(lets for a moment look beyond the microcosm of Ontario), DPMs can, as a complete package, do what no other foot specialists anywhere else in the world can do. Specifically as it relates to the spectrum of drugs they can prescibe, the range of diagnostic tests they can order, the treatment procedures, surgical and non-surgical, they can offer to their patients among other things. No need to reinvent the wheel and try to sell government and all the other stakeholders on this vision, hope, wish and pipedream of an idea of an amalgamation of the "best of" the British, Australian, (same thing in my eyes), and US education levels. Wasn't the D.Ch. program supposedly an amalgamation of the "best of" something British and something Canadian? Yet, all along Britain has distanced itself from the D.Ch. program and it isn't even wanted anywhere in Canada in any regulated provinces outside of Ontario. So you want to try and create something new and unique AGAIN? Give your head a shake. Creating a DPM Program here in Ontario will inherently be uniquely Canadian by virtue of the fact that it is being provided here in Canada. But it should differ in no other way. The end product should be a DPM that is transportable across North America and the world

Look; for this to fly a mechanism for those D.Ch.'s that want to upgrade to the DPM level will have to be made available. Accordingly, separate consideration/evaluation will have to be given to the S.R.Ch.'s and other foreign grad. chiropodists. But, and this is a big but, face the facts - IT AIN'T GOING TO BE EASY. Do you think that medicine, nursing, dentistry, pharmacy and all the other involved parties in Ontario, who graduate at the (post)university level will give the okay to a 2 or 3 year diploma graduate,(from a so-so credible educational program - see: Michener SECOND "Program Review" within 5 years - mentioned above), suddenly being given the right to communicate a diagnosis, order xrays, perform soft tissue surgery (I mean real surgery- not nails and warts) and perform osseous surgery without some substantive educational and clinical upgrading? In the interest of protection of the public, and rightly so, any suggestion to the contrary would at best be considered laughable; at worse, irresponsible and ludicrous. In short, it ain't happening.

This is a time for reflection and honest soul searching by chiropodists in Ontario. From the ashes of chiropody in Ontario can truly rise podiatry -real (DPM) podiatry. The question is, how hard are you willing to work towards that? To do nothing, you risk continued and increasing isolation and a lack of credibility.