This is the evolution of the profession. And something that's still a thorn in my side. And truly, all about politics. We went from a profession of palliative care to "Fellowship Trained Foot and Ankle Surgeon" in a very short amount of time. And there were many growing pains along the way.
I graduated in the late 1990s and there was still a way to get "Board Certified" without a residency. A couple of my classmates went this route when they couldn't get a surgical residency, and did "surgical apprenticeships" and somehow this was enough for them to sit for the ABFAS exams at the time. We are not the only ones that allow this. Attorneys don't have to go to Law school. Or they didn't used to. If they studied with an attorney, and could pass the Bar, they were in.
To me, there is no way that this should have been a thing in our profession. This isn't the early 1900s where people did this in Surgery. Now, that being said, I don't like the current system either. I proposed a return to both one year and three year programs many years ago. The one year programs for those not interested in doing surgery in their practices. Or those that couldn't get a surgical program when there was/is a shortage of surgical programs. I was laughed at. And continue to be. There was and will be a time when there will be a surgical program shortage. The pendulum will always swing. And those that don't get any residency are SOL. The majority of states require at least one year of post graduate training to be eligible for a license to practice in that state. That's a good thing. Unless you're on the wrong side of the pendulum.
We must always honor those that come before us. Without them, there would be no us. That being side, we should also strive to learn from their mistakes as well. That can be equally as helpful.