Why are there seperate podiatry schools?

It is the history of how all the branches (MD, DO, DPM) developed from separate traditions and then essentially shaped from the Flexnor report towards similar institutions in the earlier 1900s. Podiatry came out of an earlier tradition of Chiropody, an external foot specialty practice that was the very rough analogous to dental hygienist. In the same way that many MD "schools" closed during this period and the remaining schools become more academic and professional, Chiropody schools did the same becoming a medical discipline eventually becoming podiatry. Osteopathy moved in the same direction. Each group developing organizational infrastructure (professional and academic societies), political infrastructure (separate state medical boards) and physical infrastructure (separate hospital systems). The last part started to break down in 1970s/1980s has the political power of the boards and professional societies, helped in getting hospital privileges for DPM and DO in allopathic institutions. Ironically it was this political power that prevented an effort started in the late 1990s to create Physician 2015, where MD, DO, and DPM would be under one systems of professional societies, medical boards, and accrediting organizations. DPMs pulled out early but the effort did result in the combining of residency programs in MD and DO and it is likely DPM will ultimately join that effort

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Why are there seperate podiatry schools?