What must the lay board member not be?

• A. Not be a registered or licensed practitioner of any of the healing arts
• B. A podiatrist
• C. A public official
• D. Related to a healing arts practitioner in any way

Answer: (A)

The lay board member is meant to represent the public with no professional ties to healing arts, ensuring impartiality and avoiding conflicts of interest in disciplinary or advisory matters. Therefore, the essential rule is that they must not be a registered or licensed practitioner of any healing arts. If someone is a clinician, like a podiatrist or any other healing arts professional, they would not meet the lay status because their professional background could bias decisions. The other situations—being a public official or being related to a healing arts practitioner—can raise concerns, but the explicit disqualification that defines a lay member is the prohibition on practicing in the healing arts themselves.