Praising The Diversity Of Topics At The ACFAOM Conference

I recently attended the 2009 annual clinical conference presented by the American College of Foot and Ankle Orthopedics and Medicine (ACFAOM). This was an outstanding meeting which covered the key areas of podiatric medicine: biomechanics, diabetes and surgery. A stellar faculty included Robert Frykberg, DPM, Lee Rogers, DPM, John Steinberg, DPM, David Armstrong, DPM, PhD, Paul Scherer, DPM, and Marc Benard, DPM.

There was a heavy emphasis on biomechanics relating not only to active individuals but also to the management of the diabetic foot. It was impressive to see a wide range of topics that represent the common pathologies most deal with in everyday practice. Yes, in a typical day in the office, we commonly see an active middle-aged patient with plantar heel pain and in the next room see a diabetes patient with a severe foot ulceration.

Few conferences offer a comprehensive lineup of lecture topics that cover both the surgical and non-surgical approaches to the common conditions we see on a daily basis. Kudos to Jim Stavosky, DPM, and the entire ACFAOM Board for staging this meeting.

For those of you who missed this conference and would love to see similar content, I highly recommend the upcoming Prescription Foot Orthotics Laboratory Association Meeting, which will be held in Atlanta October 2-4, 2009. You can access the site for this conference at www.nvo.com/pfola/pfola2008/ [2].

I continue to use this blog to lobby for better content at podiatric seminars, which properly address the reality of current podiatric practice. Please give me feedback about whether you are learning what you need at the big meetings presented by our major organizations.