A candidate who fails the Case Review examination may request a one-time appeal of the results if they provide an objective basis to overturn one or more of the findings. This policy defines the procedures for this limited appeal. Please note, if a reviewer cited an incorrect document upload (e.g., images from the left foot when it was a right foot case, images from a different patient, progress notes from a different patient, etc.) or failure to upload a document in the candidate’s Case Review score report, the candidate may file an appeal and upload the correct document. Additionally, a candidate who originally uploaded an incorrect Surgeon of Record document may file an appeal and upload the correct document.
To start your appeal, please log into the ABFAS Case Review Appeals website.
Procedure to Initiate an Appeal Request
A candidate who desires to appeal may not communicate with ABFAS about their Case Review results or the appeal process other than under the terms of this policy.
A candidate may request an appeal of a specific or multiple Case Review finding(s) no later than 14 calendar days after ABFAS publishes the Case Review results on the candidate’s profile page and notifies the candidate (usually by email) that the results are available (the “Case Review Results Release Date”). A request for an appeal must be completed using ABFAS’ online Case Review Appeal Request form. The candidate must provide the objective reason(s) ("Your Initial Comment") for each individual score result being appealed.
Appeal Initial Review
An ABFAS representative, usually the ABFAS Credentials Associate Director, will review the candidate’s online submission and contact the candidate to discuss the candidate’s questions and basis for appeal during a single phone call to occur no later than 30 calendar days after the Case Review Results Release Date.
Procedure to Request an Appeal
If after the phone call with the ABFAS representative, the candidate determines to continue to pursue an appeal, the candidate must, no later than 55 calendar days after the Case Review Results Release Date, submit Final Comments via the online submission portal, explaining the candidate’s basis for appeal of each case and reviewer’s findings being appealed. Neither the candidate’s Initial nor Final Comments may include, and ABFAS will not consider, any additional documentation not originally submitted as part of the Case Review submission.
Once the Final Comments have been submitted, the candidate must make payment online with a credit card or send a valid check made payable to the American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery in the amount of $4,000. If the candidate is appealing findings in both the Foot Surgery and RRA Surgery exams, the cost is $8,000. Candidates should send checks to the address below, via trackable delivery service, such as FedEx, UPS, or USPS.
American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery
Attn: Case Review Appeals
445 Fillmore Street
San Francisco, CA 94117
The candidate’s appeal will not be processed until payment has been received.
ABFAS Procedure for Review Panel
ABFAS will not consider appeals that fail to strictly comply with this policy.
No later than 65 calendar days after the Case Review Results Release Date, ABFAS will convene a Review Panel of three ABFAS-certified podiatrists who participated in the most recent Case Review examination but did not score the candidate’s appealed Case Review submission(s). The Review Panel’s members will remain confidential, and each member is prohibited from having any other communication with the candidate that is in any way related to the appeal. The appealing candidate may not initiate any other communication with Review Panel members related to the appeal and may not be present for the Review Panel’s review of the candidate’s submission.
Upon review of the candidate’s written submission, the Review Panel will determine whether to leave the result unchanged or to revise one or more of the appealed findings. If the Review Panel decides to revise one or more findings, the revised finding(s) will be provided to an independent psychometrician to re-score the Case Review using the same scoring methodology previously applied. If the re-scored Case Review meets or exceeds the minimum passing score, the candidate will pass Case Review and receive a refund of the appeal fee.
ABFAS will send a letter to the candidate by overnight, trackable delivery communicating the result of the appeal no later than 10 calendar days after the decision not to revise any finding or upon completion of the rescore. The Review Panel’s decision is final. By submitting a request for appeal, the candidate accepts the outcome and acknowledges that there is no further obligation by ABFAS.
Step | Deadline: Calendar Days After
Case Review Results Release Date |
|---|
| Submit Initial Online Appeal Form/Comments | 14 days |
| ABFAS Representative Calls Appellant | 30 days |
| Submit Final Online Appeal Form/Comments | 55 days |
| Review Panel Convenes | 65 days |
| ABFAS Responds to All Appellants | 90 days |
