"The scope of practice is a range of care that can be provided based on the individual doctor’s education, training, and experience."

What is it about the meaning of scope of practice that some members of the medical community do not understand? The scope of practice is not a baseline of medical and surgical care, rather it is a range of care that can be provided based on the individual doctor’s education, training, and experience.  The upper end of the range of care (the top end of the scope of practice) should be dictated by the highest level of education, training, and experience available within that specialty.

The unlimited scope of medical practice is a misnomer. Not all physicians can, or should, provide medical or surgical care at the highest end of what is performed within their medical specialty.  Each doctor has the moral and ethical, if not legal, responsibility to practice at a level no higher than their own education, training and experience.

Why shouldn’t doctors of podiatric medicine be treated just like any other physician? If we have the requisite education, training and experience, we should be allowed to provide the medical or surgical care to that level.

Want to get involved? Check out the resources available in the new Scope of Practice Resource Center. There are surveys, charts and other tools designed to help members and state components in their state scope of practice advocacy efforts.