CASPR/CRIP 2000 Welcome Page

What is CASPR™?
	CASPR™ is a service open to all graduates of accredited colleges of podiatric medicine. CASPR™ enables applicants to apply simultaneously to any or all of the entry-level podiatric residency programs approved by CPME. CASPR™ facilitates residency selection by centralizing and streamlining the application process. Through CASPR™ residency program directors obtain materials such as personal statements, NBPME PART I scores, medical college transcripts, and clinical evaluations for their student applicants. Return to Top
Is CASPR™ affiliated with CPME?
	No. The Council on Podiatric Medical Education (CPME) is an independent accrediting body which sets the standards and requirements and guidelines which podiatric residency programs must follow to obtain program approval. The Centralized Application Service for Podiatric Residencies (CASPR™) is administered by the Council of Teaching Hospitals (COTH), part of the American Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine (AACPM). Return to Top
Is my sponsoring institution required to be a member of COTH to participate in CASPR™?
	No. Membership is optional for sponsoring institutions. Institutions are encouraged to show their support of graduate medical education and to use AACPM/COTH to stay informed of the political and congressional activities affecting podiatric medicine such as Medicare reimbursement, debt management and administrative education through membership in AACPM/COTH. Return to Top
Is my program required to participate in the Centralized Regional Interview Program (CRIP™)?
	No. Participating in CRIP™, a separate service of AACPM, is optional. Additional information about CRIP™ will be sent to you later, in early spring. Over the years, CRIP™ has been proven to save time and money for both applicants and programs. Return to Top
I understand that CASPR™ participation is only required for entry-level podiatric programs. Can advanced training programs still participate in CASPR™?
	Yes, for several years we have had a number of programs with a prerequisite for entry-level year completion prior to application as part of CASPR™. Return to Top
How do I register?
	CASPR™ registration is by individual program, not by sponsoring institution. The cost of registration for the 2003-2004 year is $500 per program. If your institution sponsors multiple programs, each additional program will cost $250. Registration materials should arrive in March. The materials will include a registration form, instructions, a payment form, a CASPR™ Institutional Agreement and instructions for completing the information that will be printed in the 2003 Directory of Podiatric Residency Programs. The deadline for the return of these materials is May 9, 2003. Return to Top
What is the significance of the CASPR™ Institutional Agreement?
	This agreement, signed by the hospital administrator and the residency director, states the podiatric residency program will abide by CASPR™ rules and regulations governing the application, selection, matching and appointment of CASPR™ applicants for entry-level podiatric residency positions. Original signatures are required. We must have a signed agreement for further processing of all registration materials. Return to Top
Must I match all my positions through CASPR™?
	Yes. A residency program participating in CASPR™ must match all of its approved positions through CASPR™. The CASPR™ Institutional Agreement, executed by both the program director and the hospital administrator, specifically states that all approved positions for the program must be matched through CASPR™. However, there is a great deal of flexibility within the CASPR™ matching system to accommodate those positions requiring special attention, such as the requirement of having a position filled by a graduate from a particular college of podiatric medicine. Return to Top
What does CASPR™ provide for me?
	The CASPR™ cycle begins with the return of your registration information. Potential applicants from the seven colleges of podiatric medicine learn of your program through the CASPR Directory of Podiatric Residency Programs published in early June. In September, applicants designate where they wish to apply. In early October you will receive a draft list of the applicants that have designated your program to receive their application materials. On November 21st all applicant files will be mailed to programs. This file will contain demographic and undergraduate academic information, NBPME Part I board scores; a copy of a recent photograph; a personal statement, a listing of honors, research papers, publications, if any, and extra-curricular activities; a medical college transcript, and clinical evaluations; as well as a reference list for further information. In addition, you will receive four sets of mailing labels, tan postcards for alerting applicants of the status of their application and blue postcards for notifying applicants of interview plans. Return to Top
How will applicants learn the basic requirements and benefits of my program?
	The CASPR Directory of Podiatric Residency Programs is published annually. It contains one page of information for each residency program detailing the requirements and benefits of your program. It provides a snapshot description of your hospital, the rotations provided for the resident and any special application requirements such as minimum grade point average or open only to graduates of a particular podiatric medical college. This is the MAJOR source of information to applicants about your program. It is extremely important that the information be accurate and up-to-date. This directory will be published in late April and made available to applicants in May. The directory will also be placed on our web page, www.aacpm.org/residencies/casprcrip.asp. As changes and/or updates occur, they will be noted on the web page under the appropriate program and highlighted under "What’s New." These additions will also be noted in our monthly newsletter for applicants. AACPM members can also advertise their programs on our COTH web location Return to Top .
My program is linked to an advanced training program at my hospital. How will applicants be made aware of this process?
	Advanced training program information can be included on the CASPR™ Directory page. Under the Remarks section, it should be clearly stated that the advanced training program follows the successful completion of the entry-level year, selection will be by the podiatric committee, or that the Separate Match Option provided by CASPR™ would be used, for example. Return to Top
How does the computer know my choices for the Match?
	Selection (ranking) forms will be mailed to both applicants and programs in January. Both groups have the same return receipt date of February 3rd. Applicants and programs are instructed to rank their selections in priority order. These forms are screened for numbering errors, entered into the computer and then proofread carefully. Rankings are confidential. Applicants are never told how a program ranked them nor are programs told how applicants ranked their program. Return to Top

How does the CASPR™ Match work?
	The basis for the CASPR™ Match program is the comparison of priority selections by the applicants and the podiatric residency programs, recorded on the CASPR™ Selection Forms. In the match, the CONFIDENTIAL Selection Forms (numerical rank orders) are the only determinants of offers and acceptances of residency spaces. All steps in the process are carried out by computer exactly as they would be without the Match, but at a uniform time. Return to Top
What is a Separate Match Option?
	During the matching phase, CASPR™ provides an organized means of assisting you in a variety of matching situations. The Separate Match Option can be used for pyramid situations with more entry-level positions than advanced training positions or for programs with positions funded by other that your primary sponsoring institution. Students apply to your program only once and pay only one program fee, if required. However, when Selection Forms are printed in December, programs using the Separate Match Option will received a separate Selection Form for each match option. Programs and applicants may rank all applicants or programs that qualify under the options. For example, if your program offers multiple entry-level positions such as an RPR and a PSR-24 where the PSR-24 does not follow the RPR year, you have the option of ranking your applicants on the separate Selection Forms. Separately titled, but identical, Selection Forms would be sent for each category. Applicant Selection Forms would also be divided into these categories. The listing, for example, might read: 0127 Kaiser Foundation Hosp – Santa Clara – PSR-12 – 1 Yr Program 1127 Kaiser Foundation Hosp – Santa Clara – PSR-24 – 2 Yr Program OR 0301 Botsford General Hospital - 3 year prog (RPR/PSR-24) 1301 Botsford General Hospital - 1 year prog (RPR) A program could also use the separate Match option if your program wished to fill unfunded positions or those funded by a particular college of podiatric medicine. An example of this option would be: 0703 DVAMC - Richmond (McGuire) – All Grads – DVA Funded 1703 DVAMC - Richmond (McGuire) – WOC – OCPM Grad In the first example, applicants could choose to rank either or both Botsford programs. Botsford could rank applicants for either or both. In the second example, applicants graduating from any of the podiatric medical colleges could rank 0703, but only OCPM graduates could actually rank both the federally funded 0703 position and the without compensation/college funded 1703 position. DVAMC - Richmond could rank applicants for all applicants for 0703 but only OCPM grads for 1703. Return to Top
What is "legal" to disclose to applicants about our program ranking choices?
	It is acceptable and can be quite helpful to an applicant for the residency program to verbally communicate that the applicant will be ranked by their program. You may state the rank number specifically or give a range, i.e.: "you are one of our top five choices." An applicant may volunteer this information or give a range as well, i.e.: "I am really impressed with your program opportunities and consider it one of my top five choices." It is NOT acceptable to ask or require whether an applicant intends to rank your program. A residency program may not require any commitment to or intent to rank either verbally or in writing from an applicant. It is also unacceptable for an applicant to request whether or not a program intends to rank them or in what position. Return to Top
Will I be assigned a resident I do not want?
	No. A residency program is never matched with an applicant whom it identifies as unacceptable. Only those applicants ranked by the program have the potential of being matched to the program. The only reason a program may not be matched with a highly ranked applicant is that the applicant preferred (assigned a higher rank) to another program that also desired that applicant. Return to Top
What happens if I have positions unfilled following the Match?
	Programs with positions remaining unfilled following the Match will be contacted for their preferred protocol for filling these positions. Generally, positions remain unfilled because either programs or applicants fail to rank enough choices. Programs and applicants may rank as many or as few choices as they wish. CASPR™ recommends you rank any applicant that fulfills the requirements of your program and would be compatible with your program personnel. Applicants are encouraged to rank any program with which they interviewed and were willing to attend. Return to Top
What is Match Day?
	Match Day is the second Monday in March. Match announcements are mailed by next day air service to each podiatric residency program in the Match. Applicant results are also mailed overnight on that day to each podiatric college. Results to applicants are sent by first-class mail.