Candidates who have completed the
training
requirements as outlined are eligible to apply for
examination by the Board. Applications are available online. A
memorandum will be sent to the program directors to inform
residents in their final year of training about the
availability of the online application forms. The completed
application must be filed online before March 1st of the year
in which the candidate plans to take the examination.
Physicians who complete their residency training in
dermatology by July 1 are eligible to apply to take the
examination in August of the same year. Under the special
conditions described under
Guidelines for Determining Adequacy of Clinical Training,
candidates completing additional (make-up) training before
September 1 may also be eligible to apply to take the
certifying examination. It is emphasized that it is the
candidate's responsibility to submit a completed application
form online if he or she plans to take the certifying
examination of the Board.
A candidate is not considered an
"active" candidate until his or her application has been received and approved
by the Board. This approval includes a review of the application and annual
evaluation reports from the candidate's training director. After the application
is approved, the candidate is required to take the examination within two years.
Candidates who do not exercise the examination privilege within two years of the
date that they are declared eligible will be required to file a new application
and have their eligibility for examination reviewed by the Requirements
Committee. If the reapplication is approved by the Board, the candidate is again
eligible to take the examination for another two-year period. It should be noted
that candidates who have had an extended lapse in clinical practice or in other
activities related to dermatology may be required to submit evidence of their
continued involvement with the specialty of dermatology.
The Board does not use
the term "Board-eligible" in any correspondence with organizations or
individuals who send inquiries to the Board office. On written request by a
candidate and payment of a
fee, the Board will
send the candidate a letter stating his or her status with the Board at any
given time.
RECERTIFICATION/MAINTENANCE OF
CERTIFICATION-DERMATOLOGY (MOC-D)
(An ABMS Maintenance of Certification Program)
OVERVIEW
Recertification
is a process through which a diplomate's credentials, licensure, and
professional standing are verified and his or her knowledge is evaluated. The
American Board of Dermatology (ABD) began issuing time-limited certificates,
valid for ten years, in 1991. The first Recertification examination was
administered in 1999.
The ABD is committed to the conversion of its current process of recertification
to a process of maintenance of certification that is consistent with guidelines
established by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) and with the
distinctive nature and elements of the specialty of dermatology. In so doing,
the Board will strive to plan and implement maintenance of certification as a
fair and credible process that will withstand public and professional scrutiny,
will be properly considerate of the concerns and responsibilities of its
diplomates and will preserve the high standards of the specialty of dermatology.
Maintenance of Certification (MOC-D) is a program of education and
professional development designed to assess the competence of physicians on an
ongoing basis. The Maintenance of Certification-Dermatology program is based on
the 6 general competencies identified by the Accreditation Council for Graduate
Medical Education (ACGME) and the ABMS: patient care, medical knowledge,
practice-based learning and improvement, interpersonal and communication skills,
professionalism, and systems-based practice. For Maintenance of Certification
these 6 competencies are placed into 4 areas of assessment:
1.
Evidence of Professional Standing
2. Evidence of Commitment to
Lifelong-Learning and Periodic Self-Assessment
3.
Evidence of Cognitive Expertise
4. Evaluation of Performance in
Practice
International medical graduates with expiring time-limited ABD certificates can
take the Maintenance of Certification-Dermatology examination. However, without
a full, valid, and unrestricted license to practice medicine or
osteopathy in
either the United States or Canada, their certificate will not be renewed. They
will receive a formal letter stating that they successfully passed the
recertification examination.
All
ABD diplomates certified (primary and subspecialty) or recertified since
2006 have entered the Maintenance of Certification-Dermatology (MOC-D)
program.
SUBSPECIALTY CERTIFICATION
The American Board of
Dermatology has established certification and maintenance of certification
processes for the subspecialties of
Dermatopathology,Clinical and
Laboratory Dermatological Immunology, and Pediatric
Dermatology. These subspecialty certifications have been approved by the
American Board of Medical Specialties and its
24 member boards. Surveillance and periodic reviews of the training programs are
carried out by the respective RRCs (Dermatopathology), under the auspices of the
Accreditation Council for Gradute Medical
Education (ACGME), and/or by the ABD (Clinical and Laboratory Dermatological
Immunology, and Pediatric Dermatology). Although all general dermatology
residents receive comprehensive training in each of these subspecialties,
candidates who pursue the additional year(s) of training in subspecialty
fellowships will have met additional standards and qualifications that will
prepare them for specialized careers in teaching, research, and/or the practice
of these subspecialties. It is emphasized also that the additional year(s) of
training in Clinical and Laboratory Dermatological
Immunology and Pediatric
Dermatology must be taken after the candidate has met the full training
requirements for certification in the primary specialty of Dermatology.
Similarly, the additional year(s) of training in Dermatopathology must be taken
after the candidate has met the full training requirements for certification in
the primary specialty of Dermatology or
Pathology.
