AACPM’s New Program Directory
AACPM’s New Program Directory
The American Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine (AACPM) supports future podiatrists through every stage of their education and training. Two key steps on that path are clerkships and residency programs—each one helping students gain real-world experience and shape their careers.
Clerkships are short-term clinical opportunities that help students explore different programs and specialties. Residencies are a three-year commitment and a defining part of every podiatrist’s professional journey. Most students look at both side by side, since many programs give preference to residency applicants who completed a clerkship at their site.
But until recently, students had to navigate two entirely separate directories to explore their options. The residency directory was several years out of date, and the clerkship directory existed only as a downloadable PDF. For students trying to research, compare, and plan, the process was anything but smooth.
AACPM saw an opportunity to improve the experience for both students and programs.
CLIENT
American Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine (AACPM)
CONTENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
WordPress
SERVICES
Information Architecture
User Experience
Web Design
Development
Integration
Analytics
The Challenge
The existing system created confusion and extra work for everyone involved. Students had to toggle between disconnected sources of information, often missing out on key details or losing track of programs they wanted to explore.
On the backend, hospitals, clinics, and universities had to register and manage their information twice: once for clerkships and again for residencies. Updates were manual, media options were limited, and there was no easy way to showcase what made a program stand out.
AACPM needed a single, centralized solution that could:
- Combine clerkship and residency listings in one unified directory
- Allow students to filter and search by criteria that matter, like specialty, location, stipends, and benefits
- Give programs more control over their profile, including space for videos and physician bios
Streamline registration so programs only needed to update their information once
The Solution
Matrix Group partnered with AACPM to create a new Program Directory that brings everything together into one smart, searchable interface.
The new directory includes:
- A unified view of both clerkship and residency programs across the country
- Advanced filters for things like specialty, stipend, location, and availability
- Program profiles that support rich content, including videos, photos, and attending physician bios
- Real-time search with intuitive design and a streamlined experience for students
- A single registration form for programs to manage their data for both clerkship and residency listings
Now, students can research, compare, and plan their next steps in one place, and programs can promote themselves more effectively, while spending less time on administrative updates.
The Result
The new Program Directory is already changing the game for both students and programs.
- Students are saving time and reducing stress by using one tool to explore both clerkships and residencies. They’re reporting that it’s easier to search, compare, and plan their next steps with confidence.
- Programs are already seeing the benefits of a unified system. They’re spending less time managing listings and more time engaging with potential applicants.
- AACPM staff have reduced support time for troubleshooting and manual updates, allowing them to focus on higher-value member engagement.
What was once a disconnected, manual process is now a seamless, streamlined experience, paving the way for stronger matches and smoother journeys into podiatric medicine.
Working with Matrix Group on the new Program Directory was a true collaboration from start to finish. Their team made the process incredibly smooth and the result more user focused and intuitive. Matrix was genuinely invested in creating a solution that worked for our students, programs, colleges, and us. It was easy to communicate and innovate together—and the final product reflects that shared commitment.
— Susan Claffey, Director, Office of Graduate Services, American Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine (AACPM)
