REQUIREMENTS FOR QUALIFICATION

 

Component 1 - Evidence of Professional Standing

·         Valid time-limited or lifetime certification in dermatology from the ABD.

·         Currently valid, full and unrestricted license to practice medicine or osteopathy in the candidate’s state or province of practice in the United States or Canada.

·         Listing of other current or past state licenses.

·         Past or present restrictions, modifications or suspensions of any state license.

·         Letter(s) verifying hospital privileges from the chief of the department/staff at each hospital where privileges are granted, if applicable.

·         Letter(s) from local medical society, hospital chief of staff, personal physician, comparable professional society, or ABD-certified dermatologist attesting to the diplomate’s moral and ethical character and lack of drug dependency.

·         The diplomate should report any changes in professional standing, such as loss of DEA license, conviction for criminal conduct, and/or any incidence of expulsion or suspension from a medical society for reasons other than nonpayment of dues.

 

Component 2 - Commitment to Lifelong-Learning and Periodic Self-Assessment

·         90 hours of documented Category I CME credit are currently required in the three years preceding the date of the application for recertification but including also the first three months of the year of administration of the recertification examination. This CME should be acquired in educational programs that are related to dermatology, such as, but not limited to, those that would be approved by the AAD for its CME award.

·         Diplomates entering the D-MOC program in 2006 and later will be required to complete the following:

·         A minimum of 40 hours of Category I CME credit per year. These CME hours should be from programs that are related to dermatology such as, but not limited to

1) those approved by the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) for its CME award, or

2) dermatology-related programs that are approved under ACCME auspices. 

  • Diplomates will be required to take a minimum of 3 self-assessment examinations at approximately 3 year intervals. An examination module should be at least 100 questions in length. Smaller modules of 25, 50, and 75 questions may receive partial credit towards self assessment. The self-assessment examination may be chosen from a list of programs approved by the ABD that will be developed by dermatology specialty societies or other educational organizations.
  • The diplomate will be responsible for maintaining a record of self-assessment examinations completed and CME credits earned, and for submitting documentation of the earned CME credits and self-assessment examinations at the time he or she applies for the D-MOC cognitive examination. 

 

Link to AAD CME Transcript Program
AAD members have access to a transcript service which electronically records credits towards MOC-D. Non-AAD members may register for this service through the AAD for a fee.

 

Component 3 - Cognitive Expertise

·         Successful completion of an examination is required for recertification and maintenance of certification.  The current recertification examination is a clinically-focused, open-book examination that is administered online annually.  In 2010 this examination will change to a secure, proctored, closed-book examination that is administered at testing centers throughout the United States.

·         The current examination is clinically-focused and is tailored to the candidate’s practice profile through selection of applicable examination modules.  In addition to the required General Dermatology module, the candidate must select an elective module from one of the four listed below.  In other words, the recertification examination consists of the successful completion of two modules (one required and one elective):

            General Dermatology (required)

            Medical Dermatology (elective)

            Dermatopathology (elective)

            Pediatric Dermatology (elective)

            Surgical Dermatology (elective)

  • The examination that will be administered beginning 2010 will be similar in format with 100 questions in General Dermatology and 50 questions in the elective module. Examination questions will be made available to the diplomate for self study in advance of the examination.
  • The examinations are administered annually and diplomates may take the examination in the 8th, 9th, or 10th year of the maintenance of certification cycle.  Aggregate test results are available yearly on the ABD website.

 

Component 4 - Evaluation of Practice Performance

Diplomates entering the maintenance of certification program in 2006 and later will be required to complete an evaluation of practice performance once during the 10-year cycle. This evaluation will include completion of a quality assessment/quality improvement program, as well as peer and patient surveys.

  • Performance in Practice Activity

The ABD endorses relevant and valid Quality Assessment/Quality Improvement (QA/QI) programs. The ABD is cooperating with the AAD to develop and implement such a program.  The program that is currently envisioned will direct the physician to review the charts of a given number of patients and to compare the results of this review to evidence-based guidelines. The physician will evaluate the results of the chart review and present recommendations for a Quality Improvement (QI) program.  The initial part of the QA/QI program will be completed once during the first six years of the maintenance of certification cycle and within two years the diplomate will review the impact that the QI component had on his/her practice.  Other dermatological specialty societies and educational organizations will be encouraged to develop similar QA/QI programs for use in the maintenance of certification process.

  • Peer and Patient Survey

During the 10-year D-MOC cycle two separate surveys will be completed, with the material collected anonymously. The results of each survey will be reviewed and evaluated by the diplomate.

    • Patient Survey

Patient survey tools, as they become available, will be reviewed by the ABD and a program or programs appropriate to dermatology will be selected and made available to ABD diplomates for their use.  The results of the patient survey will be made available to the diplomate who will review them and then develop an appropriate QI plan. 

    • Peer Survey

An appropriate number of peer colleagues with direct knowledge of the diplomate’s professional activities  will be selected by the diplomate and surveyed.  The results of the survey will be made available to the diplomate who can comment and develop an appropriate QI plan.