The Board is composed of how many podiatric physicians and how many lay members representing the public?

• A. 5 podiatric physicians and 1 lay member
• B. 4 podiatric physicians and 2 lay members
• C. 6 podiatric physicians and 0 lay members
• D. 3 podiatric physicians and 1 lay member

Answer: (A)

The Board is designed to balance professional expertise with public oversight: five podiatric physicians and one lay member representing the public. The podiatric physicians bring the clinical judgment and professional standards needed to regulate practice, licensure, and disciplinary actions. The lay member represents the public interest, helping ensure decisions consider consumer protections and accountability beyond the profession itself. This combination is common in health-related boards to maintain both expert governance and public confidence. Choices with more lay members or with no lay member would tilt away from this balance, either reducing professional insight or undermining public accountability. So the specified structure—five podiatric physicians and one public lay member—fits the regulatory design.