Standing on a Tradition of Excellence

The American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons (ACFAS) has served as the preeminent source of knowledge for foot and ankle surgery since 1942. With more than 7600 foot and ankle doctors of podiatric medicine (DPM) members, who are graduates of accredited 4-year US podiatric medical schools and have completed surgical residency programs of up to 4 years, ACFAS is the foot and ankle surgery organization with the highest level of specialized training and board certification. The College and its members aim to promote the art and science of foot, ankle, and related lower extremity surgery; address the concerns of foot and ankle surgeons; ensure superb patient care; and advance and improve the standards of education and surgical skill.

Through their continued medical education, ACFAS enhances competency at every level of professional training as well as promotes the specialty of foot and ankle surgery to patients, government, the media, and the health care community at large. Its focus on the advancement of scientific and clinical research allows members to maintain a leading edge in competency and care of patients. The Journal of Foot & Ankle Surgery is the official peer-reviewed scientific journal of the College and has been published regularly since 1964.

The idea for a qualifying organization for foot surgeons began back in 1938 with Dr. William Stickel, who at that time was the Executive Secretary of the National Association of Chiropodists (later to become the American Podiatric Medical Association). The goal was to develop a group that would identify surgical standards and grant fellowship to candidates who met these criteria, and Dr. Douglas Mowbray was chosen to pursue this goal. On March 23, 1942, Dr. Mowbray and 4 other pioneers in foot surgery incorporated the American College of Foot Surgeons and created a rigorous surgical certification process that evolved to include submission of case histories with detailed documentation followed by successful navigation of written and oral examinations.

The commitment to education and training ACFAS exhibits today has been a long-standing tradition. Beginning as early as the 1950s, Drs. Earl Kaplan and Irv Kanat, along with other notable foot surgeons, offered surgical training to members. At the same time, ACFAS began sponsoring educational programs at the Civic Hospital in Detroit, Michigan. Civic Hospital was the location of the first residency training program in foot surgery, with podiatric residencies springing up nationally soon after.

Since its first independent scientific conference in 1958, the Annual Scientific Conferences and other programs and workshops have seen steady growth in attendance and participation. New forms of education, such as podcasts and online continuing medical education courses, were launched to continue the College’s commitment to its members. The College began outreach to students, residents, and non-American foot and ankle surgeons. The College also expanded its reach and created a website dedicated to consumers and patients. Attendance at the Annual Scientific Conference reached nearly 2000 DPMs in 2017. The next Annual Scientific Conference will be held February 14–17, 2019, in New Orleans, Louisiana, with preconference workshops on February 13. Up to 34 continuing education contact hours will be available from the workshops and conference.

Today, membership of ACFAS continues to grow due to the College’s commitment to assisting its members in leading the surgical specialty to even greater scientific achievements, professional parity, and improved patient care. Special interest committees focused on areas such as arthroscopic surgery, biomaterials, and laser surgery were added to continue to promote the activities and parameters of podiatric surgeons. As the College continues to evolve and grow, its commitment to the surgical specialty and its members will stay steady. The American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons and its members are committed to continuing to lead the surgical specialty to greater scientific achievements and improved patient care through continuous education.