The American Board of Podiatric Medicine (ABPM) offers a comprehensive Board Certification process in podiatric medicine and orthopedics. Podiatric Medicine and Orthopedics is the medical specialty concerned with the comprehensive and continuous foot health care of patients. It integrates the biological, biomechanical, rehabilitative, clinical and behavioral sciences and encompasses first contact care, continuous care, long term care and general medicine. Board certification provides the assurance to both the public and health professionals that the highest level of achievement has been attained in the specialty area. While certification by the Board does not guarantee competence in practice, it does indicate that the podiatric physician has been judged by his peers to have demonstrated, via a rigorous examination process, a fund of knowledge and competence in the areas being tested. The Certificate of the American Board of Podiatric Medicine is a unique achievement-a step well beyond the mandatory education of the podiatrist or state requirements for licensure. The American Board of Podiatric Medicine is recognized by the Joint Committee on the Recognition of Specialty Boards of the Council on Podiatric Medical Education under the authority of the American Podiatric Medical Association as the specialty board to conduct a certification process in Podiatric Orthopedics and Primary Podiatric Medicine. Recognition is an indication of satisfactory compliance with the recognition criteria as well as public approbation, attesting to the competency and proficiency of the specialty board to assure that only qualified podiatrists have obtained certified status.