Home: Boards of Certification: Dermatology: Eligibility

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Please click here for application and eligibility changes, effective January 1, 2007.

To be eligible for certification in Dermatology, through the Board of Certification in Internal Medicine (BCIM), the applicant must:

1. Submit a completed Dermatology application with required application processing fee, two (2) passport-size photographs taken within the last 90 days, and a notarized signature.



2. Be in conformity with the Code of Ethics of the American Board of Physician Specialties, be known in his/her community as an ethical member of the profession, and be an active specialist in Dermatology.



3. Be a graduate of a recognized college of medicine, confirmed by a copy of an allopathic/osteopathic degree or a letter of verification from the institution where the degree was earned. In the case of foreign medical schools, an English translation of the document is also required. Graduates of foreign medical schools must also include a copy of their ECFMG Certificate.



4. Hold a valid and unrestricted license to practice medicine in the United States or its territories and submit copies. License(s) must include date of expiration.



5. Submit current curriculum vitae which includes medical school experiences and degrees earned in chronological order.



6. Complete an AOA rotating internship or an ACGME-approved PGY-1 program.



7. All applicants (effective January 1, 2002) must have completed an American Osteopathic Association (AOA) - or Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)- approved residency.




The ABPS now accepts all residencies accepted by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC). ABPS therefore now accepts all residencies approved by ACGME, AOA, or RCPSC. It should be noted that the ABPS accepts ALL medical residencies approved by the RCPSC, including approved residencies outside Canada.




8. Applicants have completed residency training in a program approved by the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), or the American Osteopathic Association (AOA), and deemed acceptable to the Board of Certification in Internal Medicine. Such training must include substantial and identifiable training in Dermatology as determined by the Board of Certification in Internal Medicine and approved by the American Board of Physician Specialties.



9. Demonstrate evidence of 50 hours of postgraduate continuing medical education in dermatological courses, lectures, seminars, and research conferences attended during each of the three years preceding application. AAPS CME form must be used, to view click here. Copies of an official printout or copies of certificates must be attached to the ABPS CME Form.



10. Submit two letters of recommendation from board certified Dermatologists.



11. Submit one letter of recommendation from the director of medical education in which the rotating internship or PGY-1 year was completed.



12. At the discretion of the BCIM, physicians who have finished dermatological training and who are in full-time dermatological practice (at least 30 hours per week) may be considered for certification if they can document training comparable to that outlined under the training requirements above.



13. Payment of appropriate fee. To view the fee schedule, click here.

To have an application considered by the BCIM Credentials Committee, all application documents must be compiled in a notebook. The BCIM recommends that the applicant keep a copy of all application documents submitted to the ABPS.