BACKGROUND
CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS
Prerequisites
Training
Leave of Absence
Examination
Examination Eligibility
Appeals Process
Continuing Certification Program (CCP)
PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
LIST OF TRAINING PROGRAMS
BACKGROUND
The American Board of Dermatology has established certification and continuing certification processes for the subspecialties of Dermatopathology 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 Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), and/or by the ABD (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 Pediatric Dermatology and Dermatopathology should occur after the candidate has met the full training requirements for certification in the primary specialty of dermatology. Dermatopathology training is also offered to physicians with a primary certificate in pathology (anatomic pathology, or anatomic and clinical pathology).
ABD subspecialty certification is linked to primary certification in dermatology.
Maintaining valid subspecialty certification is contingent upon meeting the requirements of the dermatology Continuing Certification Program (CCP).
CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS
Subspecialty certification in Dermatopathology is a joint function of the American Board of Dermatology (ABD) and the American Board of Pathology (ABPath), with ABPath serving as the Sponsoring Board and ABD serving as the Administrative Board. Such function will relate to qualifications of candidates, standards of examination, and the form of the certificate.
Dermatopathology certificates have a 10-year time limit. Maintaining subspecialty certification in Dermatopathology is contingent upon meeting the requirements of the dermatology Continuing Certification Program (CCP).
All candidates applying to sit for this certifying examination must hold a currently valid, full and unrestricted license to practice medicine or osteopathy in the state or province of his/her practice in either the United States or Canada. The candidate may be denied certification if his/her license has been revoked, suspended, restricted, or surrendered in any jurisdiction – or if the candidate is subject to adverse licensure proceedings.
All candidates for this certification must satisfy the following requirements:
Primary certification by either the American Board of Dermatology or the American Board of Pathology (anatomic pathology or anatomic and clinical pathology), and the satisfactory completion of one year of training in dermatopathology in a program accredited for such training (see below) by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). Effective July 1, 2011, four months of the one year program will be devoted entirely to dermatopathology, while for the remaining eight months, 50% of each day (averaged over one week) will be devoted to education in either anatomic pathology or clinical dermatology, depending upon the fellow’s background. The other 50% of that eight month time period will be devoted to dermatopathology.
Training programs in dermatopathology that are based in pathology are reviewed and accredited by the Residency Review Committee (RRC) for Pathology, while those programs that are based in dermatology are reviewed and accredited by the RRC for Dermatology.
A list of the approved programs can be found on ACGME.org by searching for programs by the specialty of Dermatopathology.
After accessing this external page, follow these steps:
1. Click “List of Programs by Specialty.”
2. Scroll down the box to Dermatology and click “Dermatopathology.”
3. Click “Run report.”
Upon recommendation by either the RRC for Pathology or the RRC for Dermatology, training programs are accredited with authority delegated by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). Information concerning accredited dermatopathology training programs may be found in the AMA Graduate Medical Education Directory or at www.acgme.org.
It is the responsibility of directors of fellowships in Dermatopathology to submit a letter of intent to the ABD for each incoming fellow by March 1, prior to the start of the fellowship year.
Refer to the ABD Leave of Absence Guidelines page.
Candidates who have satisfied the above requirements are eligible to apply to the Board to take the examination for subspecialty certification in Dermatopathology. This is a comprehensive assessment of the candidates’ knowledge of dermatopathology, including the related basic sciences, and laboratory and clinical areas pertaining to this discipline.
Dermatologist candidates planning to take the subspecialty certification examination must complete the online application by logging in above with their username and password. (Call the ABD office at 617-910-6400 for your username and password.) The deadline for receipt of applications is May 15th of the year in which the candidate plans to take the examination.
The examination is an 8 hour single-day exam administered at Pearson VUE Test Centers. The fee for the examination is $1,800. The fee can be paid online by credit card (American Express, Discover, MasterCard and VISA) or a check can be mailed to the Board office.
For additional information, please see General Rules, Regulations and Information for All Examinations.
Beginning January 1, 2012, physicians who complete an approved Dermatopathology fellowship will not be permitted to take the sub-specialty certifying examination later than five years following the completion of their training. Physicians who completed Dermatopathology fellowship training prior to 2012 will not be permitted to take the sub-specialty certifying examination after December 31, 2016.
A dermatologist who has not met these requirements may not claim to be “board eligible” unless the American Board of Dermatology determines that that physician has been prevented from taking the examination within the applicable five year period by military deployment or by catastrophic illness. If either of these situations exist, a dermatologist wishing to claim to be “board eligible” or wishing to take the examination after the expiration of the five year period may be granted a one or two year deferral by submitting a request to the Board. The decision to grant or deny a deferral will be at the sole discretion of the Board.
An appeals procedure similar to that described for the certification process in dermatology is available for candidates for subspecialty certification in Dermatopathology who were declared ineligible by the Board for Dermatopathology or who failed the Dermatopathology examination. Candidates submitting such appeals should contact the Board for current additional information.
For additional information, please see General Rules, Regulations and Information for All Examinations.
Continuing Certification Program (CCP)
Certification in Dermatopathology is time-limited for 10 years. When a candidate is certified in Dermatopathology, he/she will enter into the Continuing Certification Program (CCP) for the 10-year period.
Individuals who PASS an ABD certifying or subspecialty exam will automatically receive 60 AMA PRA Category 1 CME credits. The ABD has contracted with the AMA to provide these credits at no cost to diplomates. After the ABD releases the exam results, the AMA will send passing candidates a certificate for this credit.
PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
Please click here to see the Dermatopathology Program Requirements.
LIST OF TRAINING PROGRAMS
Click here for a list of accredited Dermatopathology fellowship training programs. After accessing this external page, follow these steps:
1. Click “List of Programs by Specialty.”
2. Scroll down the box to Dermatology and click “Dermatopathology.”
3. Click “Run report.”
