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At this year’s FIP Conference in Copenhagen there is an International Consensus Conference for podiatry educators supported by Federation’s International Education and Research Committee (IERC). Current membership includes professional associations from Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Hong Kong, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Malta, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Peru, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom and United States of America. Up for discussion in the one day seminar will be the opportunity to discuss the form and function of the International Academy of Podiatric Educators and a new proposal to establish and International Competency Based Model for a Podiatric Scope of Practice. The International Academy of Podiatric Educators was established by FIP to enable worldwide podiatric educators to share experiences and disseminate developments in the rapidly changing world of health professions education through networking, research, conferences, educational guides and curriculum modelling. One major objective has been the establishment a podiatric educator’s journal. FIP have nominated 2010 as the focal year to bring together a global common core curriculum for podiatry.

Whilst there are several professional associations (i.e. countries) not members of FIP, it will be very interesting to see the impact an internationally agreed core curriculum for podiatry will have. All the more so if podiatric text and learning materials become web based. Simple economics would support the move towards electronic publications (global trend), especially where this reduces costs currently used for the duplication of core materials. Academic staff at centres of podiatric education would be free to concentrate on research and consultancy, in the full knowledge competence training is resourced and standardised.

Brave new world


What say you?